Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing
by The-Couch
Summary: When a wolfos mother adopts a keaton pup, controversy arises in the pack. What happens when the keaton later learns of his hidden past? And what happens when he stumbles upon a Kokiri child in the forest? How will all of this affect his future?
1. A Rescue to Remember

**Summary:** When a wolfos mother adopts a keaton pup, controversy arises in the pack. What happens when the keaton later learns of his hidden past? And what happens when he stumbles upon a Kokiri child in the forest? How will all of this affect his future?  
**Rating:** K plus, but this might change in future time.  
**Flames? **No flames, please, although a bit of constructive criticism is nice. But, by all means, am I not refusing the offer of a friendly review! ;) Don't be shy in reviewing; I won't bite:)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.

**Author's Notes:** If you didn't notice before, this story will revolve mostly around a keaton, but also Link in due time. Link will not be introduced for a while, but I promise he _will_ appear sometime in the story. :D **This is not an AU! It revolves around the time of events that happen in OOT!  
**Lastly, I _might_ draw something up for this story and post it on my DA (link is on my profile), although I cannot draw wolves very well… T-T;;  
Have fun reading!

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**Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing  
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****Chapter One: A Rescue to Remember**

-oOoOo-

It was a beautiful day, a day that could only have been blessed by the three goddesses themselves. There was not a cloud in the sky, and all plants were alive and well, as were the wild creatures that lived off of this land. Along with the gentle sounds of nature, happy, young yelps and playful barks were heard from the Lost Woods. Three wolfos pups were sprinting out of the huge log, the entrance to the Kokiri Forest, chasing each other with only the energy and excitement young children possessed. This was a time where not all wolfos were under the evil enchantment of the Dark Lord Ganondorf, but rather, they lived freely on their own, acting much like wolves from our world. One could tell they had not been corrupted from their eyes, which did not gleam with bloodthirsty intentions.

"Last one to the ranch is a rotten deku nut!" The first wolfos pup challenged his two other brothers, who were running at his heels.

The second one chased after his brother, tongue lolling out of his mouth and wind blowing through his thick pelt. "I'm going to be the _first_ one there!" He boasted. "And when I do, I'm going to catch the fattest cuckoo the ranch has to offer!" He was now side-by-side his sibling, their bodies slightly touching and their paws hastily flying over the beaten down path.

"Guys!" A third, young, voice whined behind them. "Wait for me! I'm _always_ last!"

The two in front didn't stop. "Not a chance!" They called over their shoulders, making the third pup grit his teeth in frustration as he bolted with all the strength his tiny body had to offer.

His brothers didn't notice him as he approached them from behind. With a sly smirk, the third pup yowled and pounced on both of his siblings' backs, causing them to fall over and roll in the grass, play-fighting.

"Got'cha!" The third wolfos squealed as he playfully swatted his brothers with his paws.

The three siblings were having too much fun romping about, nipping at each others' ears and tails, fighting each other while still trying to catch their breath that they failed to notice a larger wolfos approach them. "Boys! I thought I told you to wait for me by the trees as soon as we exited the woods!" She scolded lightly, drawing the attention of the pups, who immediately stopped their play-fight and sat obediently in front of the female wolfos.

They lowered their heads in embarrassment from the chastisement, but the older wolfos couldn't help but crack a small smile. "It's okay; just wait for me next time. I don't want to lose you three."

The pups' ears perked up as they gazed into the wolfos' glittering ice-blue eyes. "Yes mum." The barked happily. "But, we're so close to the ranch now; can we _please_ go on ahead?" One of the siblings stepped forward, questioning his mother innocently.

"I don't know. _Can_ you?" The mother wolfos grinned with playful mischief.

The pups giggled. "I mean, _may_ we go ahead?"

"Yes, but don't do anything drastic. I _am_ trying to teach you how to catch small prey, after all." She nudged her pups' rumps gently with her nose just as they sprinted off again, laughing and teasing each other on the way. The older wolfos sighed, happily, as she watched her pups bound away. With a slight jog, she followed the path of tiny paw prints the wolfos pups made in the dirt, smiling all the way.

Just then, as she was about to step forward through the entrance of the ranch, her ears perked up to the sound of gruff voices and barks, growls, and yelps. Fear tingled down her spine as she consciously gasped, immediately dropping down into a crouch and hastily, though sneakily, made her way into the ranch, hiding behind bushes as she went.

Her head swung back and forth, desperately seeking out her babies. Another yelp was heard, this one sounded as if it were in pain, which was followed by a growl and a whimper. The mother wolfos panicked now, not knowing where her children were as she continued to stalk hastily around the ranch, searching for the familiar sight of the pups. Some human grunts were heard, probably words, but wolfos cannot understand the language of the humans, but they were mixed in with barks and growls; those belonged to the wolfos.

Then, just as the panic-stricken mother was about to enter the corral to search further, a loud _whack-thump_ rang, instantly bringing forth a couple of yowls of anguish, which echoed through the sensitive ears of the worried mother. She heard the footsteps of humans coming towards her, and she ducked down in the bushes, remaining unseen. When the sound of the footsteps and the scent of the humans died away, she poked her nose out of the bushes, fearing the worst.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest and blood rushed in her veins as the wolfos entered the corral, the last place she hadn't checked. With shaky paws, her search continued, but stopped abruptly when she perceived a horrid sight that made her quake even more.

There, littered on the thick green grass, were three tiny grey bodies, all covered in a sticky crimson substance.

The pups.

_No…_ The mother thought frantically as an unpleasant bile rose in her throat. She ignored the feeling and rushed to the sides of her children. She nudged them with her nose gently, feeling the warmth of their tiny bodies slowly wither into cool, lifelessness. Droplets of blood were splattered around the area where the three had fallen, but the mother refused to look upon it. She couldn't tear her eyes off of her pups' bodies, despite how gruesome it seemed. "They can't…It's not…" She tried to refuse the horrible news, but it was not possible to deny the day's events. Her body shook as she laid down next to the bloodied bodies of her children, whimpering in sorrow at the sight.

She wanted to stay there and mourn more, but her ears perked up when she heard the humans exiting the farmhouse and enter the barn. It would be a matter of minutes before they came back, and they would surely see her. She quickly licked her pups tenderly, a last sign of love, before rising onto still-shaky paws. She turned her head over her shoulder, getting one last look at the tiny bodies, before sprinting off to the Lost Woods, tail drooping along the way.

_The Hylian humans did this,_ She thought as she entered the Lost Woods, _I'll never go near another as long as I live_.

Her paws seemed to have a mind of their own. Without even her knowing, she had entered the secret hideaway, which only the wolfos of the Lost Woods knew about. She had been too wrapped up in her thoughts of her pups to notice this until someone shouted out her name.

"White Foot!"

She snapped out of her mourning for a minute, gazing directly into the blazing amber eyes of a fellow wolfos. His muscles rippled through his thick grey pelt as he walked towards the grieving wolfos. Many scars were visible along his body, all from past fights. "White Foot," He addressed her again. "Did you manage to find something small on your training expedition?" He eyed her suspiciously, looking around for a dead animal or two.

White Foot hung her head as she sat down in front of her leader. "I'm sorry Blaze, I did not…" She whispered for her heart still heavy with the death of her young.

The amber eyes of the wolfos glittered with a slight anger. "Then why have you returned? I told you and your pups to collect some food from the training before returning!"

"I…I can explain Blaze!" White Foot stuttered, nervously.

"By the way, where _are_ our pups?" Another wolfos stepped forward, his pelt considerably darker than his leader's; it almost looked black. He sat next to his mate, who snuggled against his pelt sadly.

"They're…dead." She whimpered, still nuzzling against the dark grey fur.

His green eyes widened and he jumped to his paws, looking at his mate, stunned by the news. "What!" He gasped, with a slight pang of sorrow in his tone as well as disbelief.

At this, every other wolfos present stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to White Foot. "What?" Some yowled. "Dead?" "How could this happen!" "You're lying!" And other various comments exploded from the crowd.

Blaze turned around, his fur prickling. "Silence!" He barked, shushing everyone up. He turned his amber eyes back to the female wolfos. "Is what you say true?" His tone was disbelieving as well, unsure whether this was the truth or if it were some sick prank.

"It…It is true," Her voice quivered. "We went to the ranch for a cuckoo or two, and before I could reach them, the humans had slain the pups…"

A few of the wolfos in the crowd gasped, but were quickly shushed again by their leader's fierce, fiery gaze. "I am sorry for your loss, Shadow," He nodded to the dark-pelted wolfos, "And White Foot," He nodded to the light grey wolfos. "We will mourn for the pups later tonight."—He rose to his paws—"But for now you still need to collect that small amount of food I requested earlier."

Shadow turned his emerald eyes to his leader. "Blaze, with all do respect, I think maybe we should let White Foot have the rest of the day to herself. It must've been a traumatizing experience, and I'm sure she'll want peace and quiet so she can collect her thoughts." He bowed his head in respect as White Foot nodded slowly behind him.

Blaze snorted and paused for a moment. "Fine. Take the rest of the day off. SnowFrost! You and Twiggy go out and hunt in place of White Foot!" He called over his shoulder. "Find the rest of the hunting pack I sent out and join them."

At this, a sleek, pure white wolfos emerged from the crowd, her pup, a muddy coloured wolfos, at her heels. The pup's fur was frizzy and matted in many places, and his tongue lolled out of his mouth happily. His tail swept back and forth eagerly, looking to his mother with excitement in his eyes. Everyone knew this crazy-looking pup to be Twiggy, who was somewhat of a comic relief in everyday life. SnowFrost smiled and beckoned her pup forward with her tail. "We would be honoured, Blaze." And with that, the mother and son bounded away into the woods, ready to hunt.

The pack was still and quiet, awaiting orders from their leader. He growled lightly and spun around. "Well don't just stand there; get back to whatever you were doing before!" Instantly, the activity in the pack continued.

With another scoffing snort, Blaze turned away from the heart-broken couple and made his way to his den. "Don't worry about him," Shadow whispered with a comforting lick on his mate's ear. "You know he's always like this. I have to go guard the Sacred Meadow; you go ahead and relax. We can talk later tonight."

"Alright, thank you." She whispered back, returned the lick with one of her own. The light grey wolfos watched as her mate slipped through the thin layer of vines that covered the entrance to the hideaway. With a sigh, she exited that same way, hoping to find a nice cool pond to drink out of.

So she searched the woods at a leisurely pace, noting all different sounds and smells in the air. Her heart was still aching, though, with the loss of her children, and she whimpered somewhat, thinking fond thoughts of them and how they used to play around the tree stumps. She was reminiscing more on these loving memories when she approached a crystalline pool of water. It looked fresh enough, so White Foot dipped her head to the water level, lapping up the cool liquid, instantly calming her down slightly.

With another heavy, pain-filled sigh, White Foot settled down onto the soft grass by the edge of the pool, looking at her reflection with a deep longing that her children were right beside her.

Just then, a rustling of bushes was heard along with angry barks. Instantly, White Foot sprang to her paws, ready to defend herself if needs be. She stood for a moment, muscles tensed and ears forward, listening to the barks. There was more rustling and the sounds of twigs snapping, but nothing seemed to move towards her. The smell of another forest dweller hit the roof of the wolfos' mouth, knowing exactly what it was; keaton. She hesitated, not knowing whether she should proceed forward towards the smell, or just brush the sounds and smells away with a wave of her paw. After another moment of thought, she gathered her courage and advanced into the foliage.

She crouched, hidden, in the bushes, perceiving the keatons in the small clearing. There were two of them, about the size of a normal wolfos; both had their backs turned to her, completely unaware of her presence. "Get out of here, runt!" One of them growled as his tails lashed side-to-side.

"Yeah, I thought we told yeh to stay off our territory!" The other one snapped as well.

"If you don't get out of our sights soon, we'll kill you!"

His friend chuckled. "Yeah, we'll slice yeh up nice an' slow, heh, heh…!"

A tiny whimper was heard from the other sides of the keaton bullies, and it spoke, with a trembling voice, "P-p-please…Don't hurt me. I-I'll leave soon, I promise! I just…I just can't walk very well…I-I hurt all over!"

The hairs on the keatons' backs bristled angrily. "An' who's fault is dat, eh!" He moved around to the other side of whatever small creature they were picking on, allowing White Foot to see the bullied. She consciously gasped as she saw that it was none other than a keaton like the other two! What were these two brutes doing picking on one of their own?

One of the bullies was about to spit something else out at the tiny creature when he stood, stock still, ears perked up. "Do you smell something?"

White Foot internally gasped again, this time in fear of the keatons discovering her. The other yellow-furred being shook his head and growled at his friend. "No, them berries we ate earlier must be a'gittin' to yeh head." And with a shrug of their shoulders, the two went back to bullying the keaton pup.

"What's this? Lying down and taking a nap, are we?" The creature with the better accent sneered at the pup, who had fallen onto his stomach, seemingly out of pain.

"Git up, yeh worthless bag of deku nuts!" He growled, delivering a sharp kick in the stomach of the pup, which was followed up shortly by a painful yelp.

"Stop!" White Foot roared, springing forth from the bushes before she even had a chance to think about what she had just done. Something inside of the wolfos drove her to defend the pup, for reasons unknown. Immediately, the two keatons spun around, muscles tensed and ready for a fight, if that's what it came down to.

"See, I _told_ you something was in those bushes!" The keaton snapped at his friend. "She's been spying on us!"

"Why are you harming this pup!" White Foot demanded, nodding her head towards the limp body of the tiny keaton.

"Why does it matter to you?" The first keaton hissed back.

"I want to know why you are harming one of your own! Have you no shame? For heaven's sake, it's only a pup!"

"We ain't tellin' yeh nothin'!" The heavily accented keaton spat, the fur on his back rising and his claws kneading the ground, itching for a fight.

White Foot narrowed her ice-blue eyes. "You will tell me, or those pretty tails of yours will be nothing but ugly _stubs_!"

Visibly shocked and wide-eyed with fear, the three-tailed beings gulped and looked at their tails, imagining them to be gone. White Foot smirked; she had definitely pushed a button. Keatons were known to be somewhat vain, the only reason being their tails. All keatons, whether Hylian or Terminan, had three beautiful fluffy yellow tails with black tips on the end. These keatons were, of course, Hylian; one could see by their tail length, which is significantly shorter than those of Termina. One of the keatons relaxed his muscles somewhat and backed a little, while the other one continued to bear his teeth and tense his muscles.

"Are yeh wantin' ta fight, wolfos scum?" He challenged.

"I don't want any bloodshed if it's possible," The white-pawed wolfos replied truthfully, not letting her gaze off the offending, spitting keaton.

"Well, it ain't possible, so…" The keaton was about to lunge, but was stopped abruptly by his friend, who stepped in front of his nose.

"Is it really worth going home with fresh scars, just because of some stupid keaton pup?" He hissed wisely, not wanting unnecessary bloodshed as well. "Back down now and give her what she wants."

The aggressive keaton 'humphed' and relaxed his muscles slightly. "Coward." He hissed back at his friend, who stepped forward a little, fur flattened, showing that he was no threat.

"If you must know," He started, "Our leader has exiled this pup from our land." White Foot's eyes widened a little, but kept listening. "He went out of the woods on his own, and when he returned, he was beaten and carried a thick scent of Hylians,"—He growled—"We couldn't risk having Hylians enter our territory, so our leader forced him to leave. But, he's refusing to go."

The other older keaton behind his friend snorted. "Why don't yeh tell 'er yer mother's name an' yer life story while yer at it." He scoffed with an angry flick of his three tails.

The keaton glanced over his shoulder, giving his friend a glare, before turning his back to the wolfos, padding back to his friend. "Have you two inflicted any damage on him?" White Foot questioned.

"Tch. No." The keaton who previously spoke with her replied, rolling his eyes. "We had specific orders not to harm him unless we see him again on our territory."

"So that means...All of his wounds are from the humans..." She whispered silently, painfully remembering the morning's activities, but drew her attention back to the keatons. She growled, teeth barred, as she saw them approach the pup again. "I suggest leaving him alone from now on,"

"Yer not the boss of us!" The more aggressive of the two snapped back at the she-wolfos.

White Foot clawed the dirt underneath her paws. "Back away now, and none of you will get hurt!" She had no earthly idea why she was defending this pup, she just did. Why? What was so important about this keaton's life that mattered to her? What drove her to save the life?

The aggressive keaton growled again, but was silenced by his cautious friend who started to retreat a little. "C'mon man, she means business. Don't fight over something half-dead anyway."

There was a somewhat short pause, which was filled with threatening growls from the aggressive keaton, but stopped shortly. He spat on the ground, hissed again, and slowly retreated back into the forest with his friend while muttering a "Yeh were lucky _this_ time, wolfos." Over his shoulder.

Once they were out of earshot, White Foot let down her guard and softly padded over to where the limp body of the muddy pup lay. Upon further inspection, the pup looked as if it were unconscious, worn out from something, as it lay in the dirt, bloody scratches on his fur gathering muck and grime. He looked about the age of the she-wolfos' deceased children, but she quickly snapped out of that thought as she hesitated, towering over the limp body.

Silently making up her mind, she gently picked up the tiny body by the scruff of his neck, and turned around, making her way home.

As she passed under the curtain of vines, which hung over the opening in the rock wall leading to the secret hideaway, White Foot couldn't help but feel an uncertain anticipation creeping along her spine. You couldn't just _bring _in a baby keaton, or any other animal, inside the secret hideaway. She hadn't thought about this until now, and it was too late to turn back and think this over. But what was she going to do when Blaze found out? Say, "Hi Blaze. I decided to bring a keaton into our pack. I know you hate keatons, but I rescued this one and now I think we should nurse it back to health"?

Before she could think anymore about this fragile situation, she heard a voice call her name from behind her. "Hello White Foot!" It was SnowFrost, one of White Foot's closest friends. "We caught a small deer; it should suffice the pack's hunger tonight. Tomorrow we're all going on a hunt together. By the way how are feel—" She was stopped suddenly in her sentence when the white-pawed wolfos turned around, revealing to her the beaten keaton.

SnowFrost stood there, mouth agape, as she shifted her gaze from the keaton to White Foot. "Listen, SnowFrost, before you say anything…I can explain!"

"You had better have a good explanation then, White Foot." Nervousness was in her tone as she continued to look at the pup uncertainly.

So, the light grey wolfos quickly told her friend about how she found the keaton and the story behind him. She hesitated for a moment after finishing. "So that's it…"

"I'm sceptical," SnowFrost replied truthfully, shifting her weight uneasily. "What do you think you'll tell Blizzard, or _Blaze _for that matter, when they find out?" Both wolfos that SnowFrost mentioned were the alphas in the pack; Blizzard was the female, Blaze the male.

"When Blaze finds _what_ out?" A sudden, gruff growl behind the two females made them jump out of their fur. Blaze's fiery gaze flickered at the two questioningly.

"I, uh," SnowFrost started nervously, but sighed consciously with relief when she saw her pup getting into mischief, like always. "Twiggy! No, don't put that spider on his head!" And with that, she bounded off towards her naughty pup.

_Gee, thanks for helping me out._ White Foot thought sarcastically, but she would've probably done the same in SnowFrost's situation. Up to this point, Blaze still hadn't seen the keaton, for White Foot's head was turned, but when her leader commanded a, "White Foot, look at me and telling me what's on your mind." She gulped, and slowly, turned her head.

Blaze's amber eyes widened as his ears pressed against his skull and his fur bristled. "_What is the meaning of this_!" He hissed aggressively, "Why have you brought the young, of one our most hated enemies, I might add, into this pack?"

"Blaze, please, I can explain." White Foot pleaded, gently setting the sleeping pup on the grass between her forepaws. "Just hear me out."

His eyes grew to tiny slits as his lip drew back into a fierce snarl. "We will discuss this _later_ when your mate returns from guard duty!" He hissed choppily before turning around and stomping back to whatever he was doing earlier. He was evidently pissed.

With a heavy sigh, White Foot gingerly picked the pup up from the scruff of his neck, and padded over to a clump of soft leaves, where she laid down, pup between her paws. The scrapes and cuts that covered the keaton's beautiful yellow coat were still dirty and muddy. White Foot's motherly instincts kicked in as she began to gently, slowly lick over the fur, cleaning the pup affectionately.

She had to admit she was fond of the little keaton, although she had hardly known him, but something just drew them together. Once the mud and gunk was cleaned from the sleeping keaton, he actually looked quite cute and attractive, but still had adorable innocence in his sleeping presence.

Shadow appeared from the vine-curtain entrance, tail sweeping back and forth happily as he bounded over to his mate. He was going to cheer her up from the loss; he figured she must've still been thinking about it. After all, he was guilty of doing so himself. Many times on his guard duty he had drifted into nostalgia, still incredulous to the horrible news. White Foot was lying in a clump of leaves in a corner, but when he approached her, his smile faded.

"What's _that_ doing here?" He whispered, pressing his nose close to the yellow body.

Before his mate could reply, Blizzard padded over to the two. She was a lot like SnowFrost, although she was not pure white, but rather, a creamy white with light grey paws and grey-tipped tail. "Blaze and I need to see the three of you immediately." She replied with hardly any emotion, her dark blue eyes unreadable.

White Foot and Shadow exchanged nervous glances; White Foot's being more nervous than her mate's for she knew what was coming. Nevertheless, the two wolfos followed Blizzard to another clump of leaves, the controversial keaton dangling from White Foot's mouth all the way. Blaze was sitting in the leaves, his tail twitching angrily and the fur on his neck standing up a bit. Blizzard sat next to him, watching as Shadow and his mate took seats in front of them. The keaton was placed securely between White Foot's forepaws, fearing something might happen to it.

A minute of uneasy silence passed between the four before Blaze finally broke it, "This is an outrage!"

White Foot remained silent, her head hung.

Blizzard spoke up. "How could you even think about bringing in such treachery to our pack?"

"I have a good reason, Blizzard." White Foot replied truthfully, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"This had better be good," Blizzard whispered so that only Blaze could hear.

"Tell us your thinking." Blaze commanded sharply.

With a sigh and drooped tail, White Foot began to explain how she had rescued the keaton from exile and possible problems in the future. She just hoped that it was enough to convince the alphas not to do anything drastic.

Blaze sighed, but his eyes remained still, with only the slight hint of annoyance. "So what are you getting to, exactly?"

"I…" She began nervously, but swallowed her fear and forced herself to be brave when coming out with a rather bold suggestion. "I wish to keep him."

At this, Blaze sprang up to his paws, fur bristling and ears tight against his skull. Blizzard's dark blue eyes had widened a fair amount and even Shadow gave a disbelieving inquisitive stare at his mate. "_WHAT_!" Blaze yowled, his eyes furious.

"Are you insane, White Foot!" Blizzard chimed in with a hiss. "Take in a _keaton_ as one of our own? Of all the ridiculous, absurd things…!"

White Foot turned to face her mate, to meet his expression. "White Foot, it won't be the same," He whispered, adding with a fond lick on her ear. "He'll never be our own."

"Yes, but," She started, but was interrupted by a roar from Blaze.

"Absolutely NOT!" He hissed with an angry flick of his tail. "I will not permit this! He is a keaton, and keatons should not live with wolfos! We've been mortal enemies since the beginning of time! I will not allow this beast to break our laws!"

White Foot also stood up, nose-to-nose with her furious leader. "He knows not of these hates! He's barely as old as my children were!"

"That matters not!" Blaze shot back. "Keatons will be keatons, and in time, he shall learn of his past! He will commit treachery to the pack and kill our young! It is my duty to protect our kind!"

White Foot's lips drew back into a snarl. "How can you say that about him! He is not a full-grown keaton; he has no lust for wolfos' blood in his heart! If we were to raise him as one of our own, he would obey our laws, and be mutinous to _our_ enemies! He will be a good addition to our pack!" She growled wisely. "With three of my male pups dead, he could make up for them." Her fur stopped standing up and she relaxed a little, not wanting to be too fanatical.

The alpha male paused for a minute, breathing heavily from his outbursts. Finally, he resumed his seat next to Blizzard, as did White Foot, who seated herself next to Shadow. "Fine." Blaze growled lightly. He was still not thrilled about the idea, but he unwillingly complied. "He stays. But if he turns mutinous later, it'll be on _your _hide, White Foot." And with that, he stomped back to his den, where he would need a long, quiet sleep.

Blizzard turned her deep azure eyes to White Foot's ice-blue ones. "You were lucky this time. If I were Blaze I would've slashed open his throat." She spat and paced to her own den too. White Foot involuntarily clutched the keaton closer to her at these ominous, morbid words. She heard him whimper in his sleep, and licked his head comfortingly, wondering if he had heard Blizzard in his dreams.

"Well," Shadow started, settling down next to his mate and new adopted son. "You've got what you wanted. I'm happy too, actually. We can still be parents, right?" His emerald eyes twinkled and he gave a small grin. "What will his name be?"

White Foot continued to lick the top of her new son with a fondness only a mother can give to her young. She paused for a moment, thinking, but finally replied.

"His name will be Trey."

-oO **T.B.C **Oo-

Alright, how was it? Please do not be shy in reviewing, as I stated before. Another point I'd like to address; I know that normal wolves don't hunt on their own (rather, in packs), but for wolfos they do when they train pups to hunt. Kay? Kay. :)


	2. New Experiences

**Summary:** When a wolfos mother adopts a keaton pup, controversy arises in the pack. What happens when the keaton later learns of his hidden past? And what happens when he stumbles upon a Kokiri child in the forest? How will all of this affect his future?  
**Rating:** K plus, but this might change in future time.  
**Flames? **No flames, please, although a bit of constructive criticism is nice. But, by all means, am I not refusing the offer of a friendly review! ;) Don't be shy in reviewing; I won't bite!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.  
I do, however, own all the identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera.

**Author's Notes:** In the last chapter, some of you might have noticed the incorrect usage of exclamation marks where there should have been question marks, right? Those were meant to be question marks followed by exclamation points, but the fanfiction editor program took them out without me even noticing. –grumbles-  
These first couple of chapters may not seem very exciting, but there is important information in them, and I promise it'll get more action-packed soon.  
Chapter two is dedicated to the _real _Twiggy; a hyperactive, small dog who managed to keep a smile on everyone's face. We love you Twiggy!

-oOoOo-

**Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing  
****-  
****Chapter Two: New Experiences**

-oOoOo-

It had been hours since the scene between White Foot and Blaze, and the sun was barely peeking over the tops of the trees in the Lost Woods. Some wolfos were already getting up from their sleep, and were now stretching their stiff muscles in the open field. Others were still napping, but not for much longer. Of the wolfos who had arisen, White Foot and Shadow were among them. They needed to discuss a few matters privately, away from the pack.

"Let's go to the Sacred Meadow to talk," Shadow suggested as they emerged from the vine-covered entrance. "It's nice and peaceful there, so it should calm down our nerves."

White Foot nodded. "That's a good idea. Is there a pond or stream on the way? I'm thirsty."

"Yes, there's one near the entrance."

By the time the couple arrived at the Sacred Meadow after White Foot had gotten her wanted drink, the sun was almost over the treetops. Birds began to chirp with morning routine as they flew about in the trees, not lollygagging even once. The Sacred Meadow was universally known to all forest dwellers to be the peace-centre of the Lost Woods, blessed by the Forest Sage herself. It was a holy place to all, really, as everyone who lived in the forest obeyed the ancient laws of the Forest Sage.

White Foot settled herself on a patch of grass, lightly drizzled with morning dew, as Shadow sat himself on a pile of leaves in front of his mate, so they would be eye-to-eye.

A minute passed between the two wolfos as they just sat there, listening to the harmonious sounds of the tranquil meadow and feeling the warmth of the morning sun on their fur. Finally, Shadow broke the moment of stillness, almost hesitantly, with a, "It's beautiful, no?"

White Foot nodded. "It's gorgeous." She sighed happily, though somewhat sadly. She knew why they had come here, and it was not to enjoy the beauty of nature, sadly.

"We didn't get the opportunity to talk to each other last night," Shadow started, also knowing the reason why he and his mate were here. "We were all tired, you especially, with the days' happenings."

The light grey wolfos nodded her head slowly, preparing herself to discuss matters with her mate.

"I think the question that's haunting both our minds is 'What are we going to do with the pup?'. We need to decide something, because this is a very fragile situation, as you know."

"Keatons and wolfos have been enemies since the dawn of time, yes." White Foot summed up with a sweep of her tail. "I think we should not tell Trey about his past, if he does not remember it, until he is older. He will not understand, I think, at such a young age."

Shadow hesitated for a moment. "I agree. But we'll have to break it to him slowly so it isn't a shock to his system at first. Remember, when he's an adult, he'll know of the hate, so he might rebel if we're not careful."

"And we'll also have to spread the news slowly through the pack; otherwise they might get the wrong ideas about him." White Foot added, earning a nod from Shadow.

"If you want, I can show him around the forest today," Shadow suggested, adjusting his weight on his paws. "He'll need to know where everything is."

"Good idea."

Then, they slowly switched over into conversation about other matters: the welfare of the pack, the amount of prey in the forest, what a lovely day it would be, the like. The two wolfos sat in the meadow, once more, in a peaceful silence. It felt like paradise, unrealistic and blooming with the wonder of the forest.

"We need to head back," Shadow suddenly said aloud, snapping White Foot out of the moment. "We'll be leaving for a hunt soon."

So they went back from the Sacred Meadow, although it was rather slow, as if they didn't want to leave, and passed through the vines, arriving back home. More wolfos were up at this later time, most of them getting prepared to go for a morning hunt. White Foot left Shadow's side and made her way towards where Trey was still sleeping.

"You were up early this morning," Commented a voice from behind. "I saw you and Shadow leave. Anything you want to talk about?"

White Foot turned around and smiled at the wolfos' politeness. "And a 'good morning' to you too, SnowFrost," She joked, "Shadow and I just needed to talk."

"Oh. Is it about…him?" SnowFrost nodded her head to Trey's sleeping form.

"Yes. His name and Trey and…He's my new adopted son." At this, SnowFrost gasped as her eyes widened, visibly shocked with disbelief at the words her friend spoke. "Shadow and I decided that we _won't_ tell him he's a keaton, so could you please treat him as a wolfos?"

"You…_Won't_ tell him?" The pure white wolfos cocked her head to one side.

"He wouldn't understand about the…" She trailed off, but SnowFrost knew exactly what she was speaking of.

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry White Foot; I'll treat him as one of our own."

White Foot smiled. "Thank you. Oh, and would you mind helping me spread the news around the pack?"

"Not at all. It won't be very hard for me anyway." She joked with a twinkle in her eye. The sleek white wolfos was known for being a gossip in the pack; if she heard something, it would usually spread around like wild fire.

"Thanks again." White Foot pressed her nose against SnowFrost's sides, a sign of friendship. "I need to go talk to Blaze and Blizzard about this. I'll see you later, SnowFrost."

"Likewise, White Foot." And with that, the two she-wolfos parted their separate ways; White Foot to the alphas' den, SnowFrost to a small cluster of wolfos.

A few minutes later, though, the two she-wolfos failed to notice a stirring and stretching tiny yellow body. Trey's sparkling brown eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the light as he yawned and groaned. "Ugh, where am I…?" He asked no one in particular, though no one heard him.

"Hiya!" A nose poked in front of his eyes all of a sudden. Trey gave a small yelp of surprise as he jumped backwards, falling on his back, sprawled out. The brown-pelted wolfos pup took a small step forward, still intrigued by this new creature. His extremely large hazel eyes scanned over the keaton as his tongue involuntarily hung out of his mouth, comically.

"Who…who are you?" Trey asked, still startled.

The crazy-looking pup cocked his head to one side, his eyes still in a very large state. Trey silently wondered if they were always like this. "I'm Twiggy!" He barked happily, his tail sweeping back and forth furiously. "You're the strangest wolfos I've ever seen!" He said it as if it were nothing, as if they were just engaging in a normal everyday conversation.

Trey, baffled, looked down at his forepaws (he was still on his back, only he was on a slope). "Is that what I am?"

Twiggy shrugged and sat down to scratch something behind his ear. "Sure, why not. You don't have any feathers, so you can't be a bird, right?"

The keaton hauled himself into his rightful position. "Uh, I guess that's true…" He was stopped in his trailing off sentence by two female wolfos who came jogging over to the two pups.

"Ah, I'm glad to see you're awake." The light grey one commented gently at Trey.

He was silent for a moment as he looked at this new being, wonder evident on his facial features. "Do I know you?" He whispered innocently.

White Foot held in her breath for a minute. This would be a perfect time to fox the pup into thinking that she was his mother. "Don't you remember your own mum?" She asked, stooping her head down to his level.

"Oh, so you're my mum?" He grinned, looking relieved. "I thought my mum had left me; she usually sleeps next to me in my den."

White Foot and SnowFrost exchanged somewhat relieved glances at each other. Trey had amnesia, and was missing parts of his memory! "I'm sorry, your father and I woke up early to…take a walk around the forest." She fibbed, not wanting to worry her adopted son.

He nodded, his eyes still glittering at his so-thought "mother".

Twiggy began to bounce up and down a little. "Hey! If we're playing pretend, I wanna play too!" He barked happily, ceasing his jumping to drop down into a fake fighting-stance. "You can be the good guy, the wolfos, and I'll be the enemy, a keaton!" He added a fake growl on the end, pretending to be fierce.

SnowFrost lightly pushed her son with her nose. "We are _not_ playing pretend, Twiggy! White Foot is Trey's mother, and you shouldn't say such false things about it!" She shot her pup a gaze that said "We'll talk later."

The mud-coloured wolfos stopped his play-pretend and looked at his mother with questioning eyes. "But, White Foot's not…"

SnowFrost growled deeply in her throat, silencing her pup's sentence. "Yes, she _is_."

"I, uh," He was about to say something, but dismissed it with a, "Yes mum."

"Is that what my name is?" Trey piped up, looking at his mother with those questioning eyes again. "Trey?"

White Foot nodded and touched noses with her adopted son. "Yes, that's your name."

"Come on White Foot," SnowFrost politely interjected. "Let's go find Blaze."

White Foot nodded and with one last look at Trey, she turned and followed her friend.

The two pups watched them walk away before turning back to each other. A moment of silence passed between the two of them as they both looked at one and another before Trey asked, "What's a keaton?"

Twiggy shrugged as he scratched himself again, tongue still lolling out of his mouth at the same time. "Beats me. Everyone talks about 'em though."

-oOoOo-

"What are we doing again?" Trey turned his head to face his adopted mother, who was walking besides him. The rest of the pack healthy and young enough to hunt was out as well, travelling in a cluster through the forests, quietly.

White Foot chuckled. "You've been asking me that since we left home and the answer isn't any different than it was before," Trey lowered his head, embarrassed. "Don't be embarrassed, I know you're inquisitive about everything today."—She gave a genuine smile that made the young keaton feel a bit better—"Hunting, we're going hunting. I'll teach you how to do this by yourself, when you're older." She added, answering an unspoken question.

Trey nodded, but turned his attention in the opposite direction as a dark-grey wolfos came sprinting up to join the two of them. "Hey champ," He greeted the young keaton. "How would you like to go exploring the woods with your father after we've had something to eat?"

Immediately Trey's hazel eyes sparkled as a huge grin spread across his face. "You mean it? Wow! I'd love to, dad!" His tails swept back and forth as Shadow and White Foot grinned at their son's enthusiasm.

Then, picking up a scent on the wind, everyone ceased making any sort of noise, waiting patiently in the woods, smelling the surroundings. Blizzard flicked her tail as she sprang off, the pack following her at this new running pace. Trey, puzzled at why everyone had began to sprint, followed suit questioningly.

As he passed through a hedge of bushes, it was clearly evident what everyone was after; a humungous elk stood in the middle of the clearing, thrashing its enormous antlers at the offending circle of wolfos. The little keaton, a loss at words from wonder and unknowing, stood a ways off from the ring of snarling, spitting wolfos, watching intently as Blaze made the first move and leapt at the throat of the creature.

Twiggy came rushing past the intent keaton in a gush of brown. Trey blinked twice as he did a double take before calling out, "Hey Twiggy!"

Instantly, the comical wolfos pup skidded in his tracks, twirled around, and grinning rascally, called back, "Yeah?"

"What are we doing?"

In that same rush of brown colour, Twiggy came hurtling at the keaton. Being totally unprepared for this, Trey's back smacked, hard, against the ground while Twiggy pinned down Trey's forearms with his own paws. "Whadya mean 'what are we doing'!" He practically screamed. "We're only doing the greatest activity known to wolfos kind everywhere; hunting!"

"I know that," Trey managed to shake his head a little bit frown underneath the hyperactive pup. "I mean, what are we doing with _that_?" He nodded towards the elk, which was being snapped at from all sides by the pack, while Blaze and two others were directly on him, biting at his flesh, attempting to get the massive animal down on the ground.

Twiggy turned his head to see what Trey was nodding at, and then faced him again, still pinning the yellow body down on the ground. "Trying to kill it, of course! How else are we supposed to eat?" He gave a lopsided grin as he sprung off of the yellow body, suppressing an "Oof!" from Trey.

The keaton pup gathered himself from the ground, watching curiously as the muddy-furred pup bounded over to the group of snarling wolfos, then proceeded to jump down excitedly, yelling, "Go get 'em Blaze! Go for the kidneys! Rip open his throat! Yeah!" Still baffled, Trey stood on the sidelines, watching as the now-bloodied animal fall to the ground with a thump.

Not wasting a single minute, the wolfos crept to the body, chewing away at the flesh of the elk, finally getting the chance of eating. White Foot noticed her son was standing a ways away, looking rather timid to the whole situation. She ceased eating for a moment, padding over to where her adopted pup sat. "Aren't you hungry, Trey?" She asked gently, descending her head so it was level with Trey's.

He didn't think about food, really, until his mother had mentioned it. He could feel the vibrations from his rumbling tummy as he gave a lopsided grin and answered, "Yes…"

"Then why not join the others?" She nodded towards the elk carcass, where wolfos were downing it, rather hurriedly, so the scavenger animals wouldn't get to it. "There's plenty of meat to go around."

Trey nodded shyly and hesitantly, headed for the carcass, where some wolfos were already making room for him. Shadow appeared next to his mate, licking his lips, full. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" He asked, drawing the attention of White Foot.

She hesitated. "What do you mean?"

"Keatons, by nature, are not carnivorous." He explained gently, looking directly into his mate's ice-like eyes. "They will kill for defensive purposes, but not for food."

White Foot cocked her head to one side. "How do you know all of this?"

Shadow shrugged and grinned. "I have an owl named Kaepora Gaebora as a friend ever since I was a pup. We meet sometimes in the Sacred Meadow and talk. He knows a lot about the world and would often educate me on other creatures that lived in the Lost Woods."

The two touched noses for a minute as White Foot grinned. "I never knew that. Why didn't you tell me?"

Shadow gave a lopsided grin. "You never asked." His face became serious again. "But are you sure you want to put the child through eating meat? He probably isn't used to it."

At this, Blaze suddenly appeared from the shadows, stunning the couple for a moment. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation." He started, his voice deep with authority. "I have an answer to your question, Shadow. If you wish for young Trey to stay in our pack, he must live like us as well. I will refuse to call one who acts differently from us 'one of our own'." He growled and with an angry flick of his tail, he turned, heading back to the group of hungry wolfos.

Shadow and White Foot exchanged apprehensive glances as Blaze sauntered away, his muscles rippling as he walked. "I guess….He'll have to adapt." Shadow summed up with a shrug. His mate nodded slowly before turning her head to see how her son was doing. Internally she feared his keaton instincts would kick in, and stop him from devouring the meat, but prayed that they would not.

Trey stood in front of the carcass, hesitating. One part of him felt that eating this thing was a bad idea, and he shouldn't be doing it, but the other part was growling with hunger, and begged for him to take a mouthful of meat. He fought with himself for a few minutes, his mouth inching towards the carcass, then snapping back. Inching forward, snapping back. In the end, hunger won over instincts as he chomped down on the elk before him. It satisfied his hunger sufficiently, but his senses were screaming about how wrong this felt. Nevertheless, Trey ate and ate until his stomach was filled, much to his adopted mother's silent relief.

He licked his lips with that weird sensation that he shouldn't be doing such things as eating meat. He disregarded it with a flick of his tail as he made his way up where his mother and father sat, laughing and talking about something. They hadn't noticed Trey "sneak up" on them like that until Shadow felt a gentle tug on his dark grey tail. Shadow turned his head around, looking pleasantly surprised at how someone managed to approach him without his knowing, but this look of surprise dissolved into a happy, fatherly grin when he saw his adopted son looking up at him with wide, wondrous hazel eyes.

"Hey champ," He greeted, fully turning around now. "What's up? Full yet?"

Trey nodded and grinned, happy now that his stomach had stopped growling like an angry bear. "Uh-huh! I'm not hungry anymore. Um, dad, I was wondering…" He started shyly, averting his eyes from his father as he trailed off in his sentence.

"Yes? What is it? You can ask me anything, you know." He pressed gently on to Trey's trailed off sentence, wanting to know what was on his son's mind.

Trey hesitated, sucked in a deep breath, and said, "Can we go explore the woods now? Please?" He asked meekly, not wanting to offend his father in any way or get chastised for his simple question.

Shadow chuckled. "Of course! Don't be shy about asking such questions, champ!" He licked the top of Trey's yellow head, earning a somewhat relieved grin from him.

"You two have fun," White Foot stated, stepping beside her dark-pelted mate. "But don't stay out too late; I don't want to stay up all night, pacing, because I don't know where you are." She nuzzled against the dark grey pelt of her mate, speaking with a joking, yet sorrowful, tone.

"Don't worry; we can handle ourselves." Shadow grinned, nuzzling his mate back.

"Eww, mushy!" A familiar pup's voice called out a ways away from them. Who else would it be than Twiggy, who was making a scrunched up, fake-disgust, face at the couple.

SnowFrost pushed his side gently, yet slightly forcefully, as she scolded, "None of that, young man!"

At Twiggy's outburst, Shadow and White Foot began to chuckle with grins on their faces at the innocence of the young pup. "We'd better get out of here now before other pups start making comments," Shadow joked with a chuckle and a sweep of his tail. "Come on, champ; there's a lot I want to teach you."

And with an excited bounce in his step, Trey followed his dad, ready for a fun-filled adventure in the woods.

-oOoOo-

"What's this one, dad?" Trey squeaked excitedly as he pushed his nose against another plant.

Shadow lifted his head to see what his adopted son was looking at now. "Oh! Oh! Trey, be careful! Don't go to close to that one!" He warned, making the curious keaton pup back up a step. "That's a cactus plant, champ," The dark, handsome wolfos explained, stopping in his path. "It's prickly all over, and you'll get small needles in your fur if you get too close to it. If you are lost and need to drink something desperately, you can slash open the cactus with your claws; there's a juice inside."

"But…It has a really pretty pink flower on top!" Trey declared, cocking his head to one side. "How can something look so pretty, yet be so harmful?" The keaton questioned innocently.

"I don't know, I guess it's just one of the many mysteries of nature." Shadow replied honestly, heading over to Trey and nudging his side with his nose. "Come on champ, there's a lot I want to show you, but not a lot of time."

"A'ight dad." Trey happily barked, following his father back to the path they were taking before.

"Champ," Shadow hesitated before continued speaking, "Do you know the story of the three goddesses?"

Trey shook his head and looked at his so-thought father with large eyes. "No sir."

Shadow smiled, almost sadly, as he paused to rest on a soft patch of grass, Trey following suit. "Hardly anybody does," He sighed and gently began kneading the grass a little with his forepaws. "Remember the owl I talked to you about—Kaepora Gaebora?" Trey nodded from his spot across from his father. "He told me something a couple moons ago…About the goddesses.

"He said that the world we live in today has been forged by them. One of the goddesses, Din, who was the goddess of power and physical strength, made the earth; sculpting it with an artistic genius. She made it firm and tough so that it would be strong enough to last forever…Forever until the end of time.

"Now the second goddess, Nayru, who was in charge of wisdom and love, knew that a world would not last without vegetation to live off of. She cultivated the earth, making foliage and lush vegetation spring forth from bare dirt that her sister created. Gaebora also told me how humans plant food in the ground, and eat it when it becomes ripe. Nayru made it possible for humans to do such things.

"The last goddess, Farore, who kept courage and an undying spirit with her, formed all creatures in the world with her rich soul to live on the land her sisters had sculpted. She made the birds, fish, dekus, keatons, wolfos, and even the Hylian humans. She knew that life was going to be a rough road for her creations, even though they had a beautiful land to live on, so she gave every living creature a little bit of courage in their heart where the holder could decide whether this gift was to grow, or to die."

Trey had been looking at the intelligent wolfos with large glittering hazel eyes, totally engrossed in the tale. He gaped, but interjected gently, "Do _I_ have courage in my heart, dad?"

Shadow chuckled. "Of course you do! We all do."

"Even you?"

"Yes, even I have courage." He smiled and licked the keaton fatherly. "Of course, when I told this to other wolfos in the pack, they wouldn't want to hear a word of it. They said that it's only a legend, a myth, but Kaepora Gaebora says it isn't. He says it's true. He's been living for ages, and knows too much for one to speculate on his words. He's an incredibly intelligent being, and I firmly believe that he speaks the truth."

There was a short pause, and then, "I believe you dad." Trey's small voice piped up.

Shadow's ears perked up. "You…You do?"

"Sure!" Trey barked happily, his three tails sweeping back and forth. "You're not going to be telling me lies, right? I mean, you are my dad. My dad wouldn't tell me things that are not true." He grinned as his eyes sparkled with his playful innocence.

Shadow gulped, and suddenly, consciously, felt guilty. He and White Foot had agreed on not telling their adopted son about his true self, and now this statement had forged an uneasy knot in the pit of his meat-filled stomach. "I'm glad you think it's true." He grinned as well, ignoring that knot.

Trey suddenly leapt to his paws as an idea came to him. "I know! Let's talk to Kaepora Gaebora! Right now!" He barked with enthusiasm and joy that had not been corrupted by the woes of the world.

"Settle down," Shadow gently told his adopted son, also rising to his paws. "We will meet Kaepora Gaebora, but not now. Sometime soon, I promise." Trey's ears drooped, sadly, but perked up again when he heard his father add on, "Come on. There's one last thing I want to show you; the Sacred Meadow."

"Oh boy!" Trey barked excitedly, leaping after his father, who had already started to walk away into the forest. "I've always wanted to see what it looks like! I heard some of the others talking about it! Is it far from us? How much longer?"

Shadow suppressed a heart-filled laugh. "I see someone's excited! Do you have ants crawling in your fur or something?" He joked, laughing again.

"Daaaad!" Trey laughed as well, ramming himself against his father's dark grey legs.

"I'm only joking, champ." He flashed a genuine, loving, fatherly smile as they passed through another clump of shrubbery. "It's not far; we should get there in a few moments."

True to his word, the pair arrived in the Sacred Meadow not minutes later, much to Trey's excited anticipation. The young keaton was gaping about as they entered, his tiny head sweeping back and forth numerous times to look at his new surroundings. He had to admit, he was slightly…disappointed. By the way his father talked about the enchanted Sacred Meadow, he thought there would be something more…_exciting_ about it. Where they were was nothing more than a tiny clearing that had a few trees and tall hedges surrounding it. There was a rock too, but it didn't look very enchanted either.

"So," Shadow's voice broke Trey away from his starring. "How do you like it?"

"It's nice, but, uh…" He kneaded the grass gently with his forepaws, unsure of whether to tell his dad of his slight disappointment; he didn't want to make his father sad, too.

But when a couple of friendly chuckles were heard, this most instantly relieved the keaton of his worries. "Disappointing? I know; I had the same reaction the first time I came here with my dad. Come, follow me; I promise this place will be more astounding than it is at the moment."

Trey nodded and watched as his father stepped forward to the tall hedge. He sniffed the ground a little bit, then, pressed his body down onto the ground, and, slid underneath the bushes! The keaton gasped, fearing some creature had devoured his father, as he raced to the spot where he had been. "Dad? Dad, are you alright? Where are you?" He called, sounding a little desperate.

A familiar nose poked out from underneath the hedge, making Trey yelp and back away in shock. "It's alright Trey; I'm here. I'm on the other side of the bushes. All you have to do is squeeze under them." He explained, drawing back in front of the hedge. "There's a little hole, too, so it should make it easier."

Timidly, and a little sceptical, Trey crept down to the edge of the hedge, just like his father had done. Indeed, there was a small hole beneath the bushes, and it looked just deep enough for a wolfos to crawl through. He did as he was told, landing on the other side of the bushes, facing his dad.

"We made that our secret entrance so if a human accidentally discovers the Sacred Meadow, they couldn't come in. This place is just too holy for humans to destroy." He explained to his son while walking through a labyrinth of more tall hedges. The little keaton marvelled at how his father knew exactly where to go. For soon, the pair arrived at another clearing, this one looking more magical than the first.

"Can you feel that?" Shadow whispered and ceased his walking, as did Trey, as he gazed up into the clearing. "That aura?"

Trey remained still for a moment, soaking up his surroundings like his dad. Finally, he shook his head slowly, a silent response to the question.

"You might be too young," Shadow explained. "But there is a holy feeling that lingers here."

"There…is?" Trey whispered, wonder evident on his tiny face.

The dark pelted wolfos nodded his head. "Yes. This is the place where the Forest Sage comes. It has been blessed by Farore herself."

There was a short pause as the two slowly entered the clearing, Trey glancing around at everything; the trees, the flowers, grass, how the birds were singing, and a lonely tree stump in the middle of a feathery grass. "Have you seen the Forest Sage before?"

Another short pause emitted from that statement as Shadow lay down close to the stump. "I almost did, once." He tilted his head back to look at the dimming sky. "I was guarding the entrance to the Sacred Meadow when I heard the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard. I left my post for a moment, following the sound into this area. When I poked my head to see who it was, I caught a glimpse of a young, green-haired girl sitting on this stump, playing a small instrument. But, she disappeared before I could study her more."

"Wow," Trey breathed, ears perked as he listened intently to the story.

"Of course, this meadow is so sacred, we had to establish rules. First, the Sacred Meadow is a place for peace among all Lost Woods dwellers. You can meet here with anybody, friend or foe, and not get in trouble. Second, you may not disturb the nature that grows around the meadow, meaning, you can't break twigs, take leaves, and dig up grass. Thirdly, you may not bring any humans here, but I do not see how that is relevant to anything. We do not associate ourselves with humans. Do you understand?"

Trey nodded his head in solemn understanding, then, a short hiatus until, "Dad, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot, champ."

The pup hesitated, "What's a keaton?"

This question caught the older wolfos by surprise as he hesitated, wondering what to say. "Why do you ask?" That finally came out of his mouth, wondering where his son had heard something about a keaton.

"Twiggy was playing pretend this morning," The pup started, unsure of why his dad would want to know such things. "He was pretending to be a bad guy…A keaton."

Shadow breathed mentally with relief. "Keatons are our enemies." He started slowly, "It has been that way since the earth was made."

Trey nodded and smiled, happy he learned something new. Father and son sat in the cool shade of the trees, basking in the radiant glow and holy aura of the Sacred Meadow, until Trey grinned impishly and said, "Dad?"

"Yeah?" Came a quiet response.

"A-pounce!" The keaton yelped and with that, he lunged himself on his father's back, giggling and squeaking happily as he and his dad rough housed. The dark-grey wolfos also laughed with him, happy that he had someone to look after, like a real son.

They stopped rolling on the grass, and panted, tired from even such a small rough housing. Trey still hung onto the fuzzy, dark fur on his father's neck, while playfully tugging at his ears with his mouth. The two of them still laughed a little, overjoyed just to be spending time together, when Trey broke it.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

He nuzzled deeper into his dad's warm fur. "I love you."

Shadow smiled, sadly, at this. It was not long ago when it was his own pups saying this to him.

"I love you too, champ."

-oO **T.B.C** Oo-

**Dairokkan:** Thank you for the review and alert. :)

**Cheesefromjupiter:** They are my favourites too, partly because they are like a normal wolf. Thanks for your review; you'll definitely see some more of this story!

**Steeplee333:** Thank you for your review! I'm glad my pacing is at a correct tempo. :)

**Talimthewindwaker:** Wha—? Disney's _Tarzan_? No…I don't base my stories on movies…I guess it may seem like _Tarzan_ in the first chapter, but I promise you, it'll be something completly different towards the end. n-n

**Much thanks to all my reviewers; your words have enlightened me!**


	3. Pups Will be Pups

**Summary:** When a wolfos mother adopts a keaton pup, controversy arises in the pack. What happens when the keaton later learns of his hidden past? And what happens when he stumbles upon a Kokiri child in the forest? How will all of this affect his future?  
**Rating:** K, but this might change in future time.  
**Flames? **No flames, please, although a bit of constructive criticism is nice. But, by all means, am I not refusing the offer of a friendly review! ;) Don't be shy in reviewing; I won't bite!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money. (I hope Miyamoto knows how lucky he is!)  
I do, however, own all the identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera.

**Author's Notes:** Ghost-readers! You must be interested in my story if you were to pay a visit to chapter two, no? Reviews matter, not for the number, but for the readers' opinions. I want to know what you think of the story, if it lacks something or if it's just right; the readers matter:)  
I have been planning out how I will incorporate all information I wish to express in chapter four, but I cannot think of how I will do such a thing yet. So, chapter four might be a little late. Patience is a virtue! n-n

-oOoOo-

**Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing  
****-  
****Chapter Three: Pups will be Pups**

-oOoOo-

"We're back!" Shadow called out as he and his adopted keaton son, Trey, passed through the vines.

"And we caught a squirrel!" Trey chimed in, his voice slightly muffled by the limp body of a squirrel, which dangled from his mouth and dragged across the grass.

"What do you mean _we_?" Shadow turned his head, a twinkle in his emerald eyes. "_I_ caught it."

Trey dropped the squirrel on the ground and tackled his father's tail, grinning mischievously. "Yeah, but I _spotted _it, so nyah!"

Shadow spun around, play-fighting again with young Trey, who was yipping and squeaking happily as he batted his father's muzzle with his paws. The dark wolfos had to admit, Trey was pretty much what his old pups were; playful, energetic, inquisitive, and brimming with undying energy. He was sad to think about it, but kept his "happy mask" on for Trey, so the little keaton wouldn't get worried. He_ was_ happy though; happy that he still could be a parent.

"What's with all the ruckus?" White Foot appeared from a spot where she was conversing with another mother wolfos, her tone friendly and slightly joking.

"Daddy caught a squirrel for you!" Trey stopped play-fighting, scooped up the grey body of the small creature in his mouth, slowly padded over to his mother, and dropped the squirrel at her forepaws. "I spotted it, but he caught it." He grinned, looked up at his mum's ice-blue eyes, and swept his tails back and forth, obviously pleased with his work.

"You can eat it as a snack." Shadow shrugged his shoulders and flashed a lopsided grin at his mate, who shot him a look that asked "Why a squirrel?"

Twiggy rushed over to the family, dust flying up behind him as his paws scraped away at the ground. He stumbled and tripped over his own four paws, flopping on a patch of grass between the family, his legs flailed out. White Foot and Shadow exchanged blank stares, wondering if they should help the quirky wolfos pup on his paws, or if he could get up on his own.

Answering their silent questions, Twiggy sprang up on his brown paws, grinning madly. "Hiya Trey!" He squeaked, hopping up and down in the dirt, clearly excited. "Glad to see you're back!"

"Hello Twiggy." Trey greeted calmly, a grin spreading slowly on his face because of the crazy-pup's antics.

"Hey, hey, hey, um…" He sat down abruptly on his rump, staring blankly into space. He didn't move for a couple of moments, save for blinking…And drooling. Then, when Trey and his parents thought he had turned into a statue, he sprang spontaneously to his paws, shaking his fur, as if he had just stepped out of the river. "Oh yeah! Hey Trey, wanna come along with me and some of the other pups tomorrow? We're all going to go off an' explore the woods."

Trey turned his head to face his parents, and then cocked it to one side while putting on a rather pleading face. "Please mum? May I go? Pleeeeaaase?"

White Foot looked hesitant as she turned her attention to the bouncy, mud-coloured wolfos pup. "How many are going?"

Twiggy paused a moment, his eyes darting to the sky as his mouth dropped open, suppressing little "Uhhh" sounds as he thought. "Four." He said, suddenly snapping his pupils and mouth back into rightful places. "With Trey it'll be five." White Foot still looked apprehensive. "Skunk's coming, too." He added with a couple of flicks of his tail.

"Oh. If Skunk's going, then I feel better about the situation. Sure Trey; you can join the others tomorrow." The she-wolfos smiled as her adopted son grinned, repeatedly saying "Thank you"s over and over and over.

"Neat-o!" Twiggy bounded up and down again twice. "I'll tell the others you're coming! I'll fetch you in the morning!" And with that, Twiggy spun around, and darted back just as quickly as he had come in.

"So…" White Foot broke the short silence that followed Twiggy's absence. "Are you two hungry at all?"

Her mate shook his head. "No, we came across a stray fawn on our way back."

Trey swept a tiny pink tongue over his lips. "Yeah! And it was really tasty, too; better than the tough elk meat." Although the fawn meat was indeed softer than the elk's, Trey couldn't help but feel the weird tingle of wrongdoing down his spine. Why did this always happen when he ate meat? Did the others feel this too? He would have to investigate this later. The gears in his head turned, and he hardly heard his parents' conversation, but was snapped back into the real world when he suppressed a yawn that, to him, sounded just as loud as a mighty bear's growl.

One of White Foot's blue eyes sparkled as she turned her head and grinned. "Oh? Is somebody tired?"

The keaton pup gave a lopsided grin as his mother licked him fondly. "Uh-huh." He replied, somewhat drowsily.

"You had a full day, champ." Shadow added.

Trey nuzzled against his mother's leg. "Can you sleep next to me? Please?"

"Of course. Shadow, will you be joining us?"

The dark-pelted wolfos shrugged. "I suppose. The sky is turning dark, and I have to get up early for morning guard duty at the Sacred Meadow, so I think it's a good time to sleep."

The yellow pup dragged himself slowly, tiredly, to his den, but was picked up by the scruff of his neck by his mother, who was walking behind him. It was almost a blur for the pup; before he knew it, he was lying in the warm presence of his parents, half-asleep. White Foot licked his body motherly, lulling him gently into slumber.

It's funny how when you wake up in the morning, it feels like only fifteen minutes ago that you fell asleep, when in reality it has been hours. It felt the same way for young Trey when he felt a gentle nudging in his ribs. He groaned and squirmed at the touch, but this only resulted in more nudging, which grew rougher by the minute. Finally, when refusing to wake up, Trey felt a jaw of tiny teeth sink into one of his tails.

With a startled, and painful, yowl, the keaton jumped up from his sleeping position, finally awake. He spun his head side to side, wondering who in the world bit his tail, which was still throbbing slightly. His parents were not in the den with him, they had obviously woken up already.

"Great stars, I thought you'd never wake up!" Came a very familiar voice. The startled keaton swivelled his head to the side where the voice came from, and sure enough, standing before him was the crazy pup, Twiggy.

"Why'd you bite my tail?" Trey asked with a hint of annoyance in his tone. He wasn't too fond of the rough awakening; in fact, he was still biting back sleep.

Twiggy rolled his large eyes. "Well, duh! You weren't waking up so I _had_ to bite your tail!"

"Couldn't you have just waited until I woke up on my own?" The keaton cocked his head to one side. "What's so important that you need to bite my tail to wake up?"

In a flash of brown, Twiggy had pinned his friend on the ground, much like the day before at the hunt. "You're kidding me! I can't believe you forgot!" He screamed directly in poor, confused Trey's face. "We're going to go explore today!" At this statement, Trey's hazel eyes widened in remembrance.

He pushed Twiggy off of him with his back paws, collecting himself from the ground. "I forgot! I forgot! I'm so sorry Twiggy! Really, I am! I can't believe I forgot!"

"Calm down," Trey stopped apologising for a minute, baffled at why _Twiggy_ of all wolfos would say "Calm down". "The others are waiting for us. Let's go before it gets any later."

"What time _is_ it?" The keaton pup questioned as he followed his friend out into the open of the hideaway.

Twiggy shrugged. "Mid-morning. Not afternoon yet."

"Good. I don't want to feel guiltier about making everyone waiting for me."

Amongst the adult wolfos that hung around the clearing, there were a bunch of pups sitting together, talking with one and another. There were two females, both chatting with each other; both about the same age as Trey. A female with a reddish-brown pelt and eyes much like Blaze's looked up and grinned. "Finally! Now we can leave!"

Her friend, a female with sandy coloured fur, turned to the auburn wolfos. "Not yet Autumn; we have to wait 'til Skunk gets back from talking with Blaze."

As if on cue, a black pelted wolfos with white forepaws and muzzle came padding over to the pups, Blaze walking next to him. "…And remember to keep one eye on them at all times," Blaze said. "I don't want any of them lost in the woods, okay?"

The black wolfos nodded his head. "Yes sir. I'll keep two eyes open."

The alpha male only responded to this statement with an approving nod of his head as he sat in front of the auburn she-wolfos, looking her directly into her eyes. "Now be careful Autumn. Don't go running off by yourself and always listen to Skunk."

Autumn groaned with annoyance as Blaze licked the top of her head. "Daaaad…I'm big enough to know what to do. Besides, I'm not going to run away to the Village or anything."

Blaze's fiery gaze was hard and stern. "You better not. You may be my daughter but I can still punish you just as hard as I punish others."

She nodded her head. "I know, I know…"

And with a final lick on his daughter's head, Blaze turned and sauntered off to places the pups did not know of. "Hey Trey, let me introduce you to everybody." Twiggy piped up, shaking his fur as if wet. "The sandy-coated female is Sandy, for obvious reasons, the ginger wolfos is Blaze's daughter, Autumn, and…"

"I'm Skunk." The deep voice of the black wolfos interjected Twiggy's explanation, stepping forward in front of the keaton. He was older than the other pups, he looked as if he were just beginning his juvenile years. "I'll be watching you kids today. Do what I say and everything will work out fine." He boasted with fake authority.

Trey crinkled his nose. "Ugh, what is that _smell_? It smells like a…a…"

"A skunk?" Twiggy suggested, grinning impishly. Trey nodded his head slowly, still wrinkling his nose at the awful stench.

Skunk lowered his head to Trey's level, his yellow eyes serious. "That would be me, kid."

For some odd reason, Twiggy just burst out laughing at the statement, even though Skunk growled and gave him an irritated glance. Upon seeing Trey's confused facial expression, the mud-coloured pup wheezed out through laughs, "Skunk…Skunk doesn't take baths, Trey. He hates…Oohoohoo….He hates water! Hahahahooheehee…!"

"Shut up, brother." The teenage wolfos snapped. "It's not funny. It's my biggest paranoia! I didn't laugh at you when you ran away from that ladybird!"

This caught Twiggy's attention as he stopped his guffawing and puffed out his chest, trying to make himself look mightier. "That happened only _once_ and you know it!" He hissed. "I thought a spider had crawled on my head!"

"It was a harmless _ladybird_!" Skunk snorted, obviously trying to hold back his laughs.

"How was I supposed to know that?"

"You're right. I'm sorry, I forgot; you're just really dim-witted." The black and white wolfos sneered sarcastically.

This seemed to tick the hyperactive pup to a certain degree as he lunged at his brother, growling fiercely as they both rolled in the grass, nipping and rough-housing with each other.

Autumn shook her head and Trey could faintly hear her whisper to Sandy, "Boys are _so_ stupid." Sandy's reply was quiet and mumbled, unlike her friend's, and Trey could barely understand it.

"Um, excuse me? Twiggy? Skunk?" Came a meek, female voice from behind. Trey turned his head and saw that it was indeed the voice of Sandy, who had her head bowed and was kneading the ground with her forepaws shyly. The two brothers ceased their fight, looking at shy Sandy with questioning eyes. "Can…Can we leave now? Please?" Her voice was barely audible, and it took some strain to hear it, although everyone got the message.

"Sure, sorry 'bout that." Skunk apologised, gathering himself from the ground and pushing his younger brother to the ground, which resulted in a growl from Twiggy. "Where do you want to go?"

Sandy was about to reply, but was interrupted by her loud-mouthed friend, who exclaimed, "I know! Everybody follow me!"

Twiggy and Trey exchanged slightly nervous glances, but with a shrug, they followed the ginger wolfos.

-oOoOo-

"…Five…Six…Seven…" Twiggy had his eyes closed and was facing a large tree, counting loudly. "…Nine…Ten! Ready or not, here I come!" He called out as he spun around, ready to find his golden-furred friend.

While said keaton was crouching silently underneath some bushes, his mind went over all he had learned that morning. He had been quick to pick up how the pups he hung out with acted, and what they were like.

Autumn was a bragging, boasting, full-of-herself wolfos. She was indeed the daughter of the alpha male, which she probably took into account, thus making her "special". Trey could see the distinction of her father in her; her eyes were exactly like Blaze's, always flickering like embers in a fire. Her friend, though, was the complete opposite; Sandy was meek, shy, and polite. Trey glanced over to where the two girls sat, still talking with each other. Autumn was doing all the talking, while Sandy just patiently sat next to her, listening to everything her friend had to say. Skunk was off a distance, lying down in the cool shade of a tree, chewing a piece of grass lazily as he watched Twiggy sniff for the hidden keaton. They were playing by small pond of water, which explained why the black and white wolfos sat far away. Apart from his "skunk-like appearance", Skunk also smelled like a skunk, due to the fact he never took baths.

"Found ya!" Trey nearly jumped at Twiggy's voice, for he had drifted into thoughts of other pack members.

But before the keaton had even said a word, his brown-furred friend bowled him over on the grass, growling and pulling at his long, keaton ears. "Ow, ow, ow!" Trey squealed, trying to push himself out from underneath Twiggy. "That hurts! Cut it out!" Instantly, the energetic wolfos released the long, black-tipped ears from his mouth.

"Sorry Trey." He apologised quickly, hopping off of the keaton's back.

A moment passed between the two, the only sounds were of the girls' chattering and the panting the two friends were doing. "What do you want to do now?" Trey asked, cocking his head to one side.

Twiggy shrugged. "You wanna play another round of hide-and-seek? You can be it, if you want."

"No…It's getting kinda boring." Trey shook his head. "How about tag? Tag's always fun."

"Nah, it's not that fun with just two."

"We could ask the girls."

Twiggy glanced over to where the two of them sat. "I don't think so. Looks like they wouldn't join us anyway."

"Well then, how about your brother?"

"Skunk? I don't want to play with him. Wait…" He grinned rascally as a devious idea came into his head. "I have an idea. Listen," He leaned over next to his keaton friend, whispered something in his ear, then started giggling.

Trey's hazel eyes glittered mischievously as they darted back from Twiggy to Skunk. "Let's do it."

Twiggy nodded his head as he watched his friend bound off towards the lazy babysitter. "Hiya Skunk," He greeted casually.

The teenage wolfos opened one eye slowly, looking at the keaton, slightly questioning his presence. "Hey." The word rolled off his tongue automatically without him even thinking twice. "What's up? Something wrong?"

Trey shook his head. "Oh no. Nothing's wrong. I just thought, well…" He leaned close to Skunk, and whispered in his ear, "I thought we could play a little prank on your brother."

A sly grin spread across Skunk's face as he lifted his head up and looked directly into the pup's eyes. "I'm listening."

"I thought we could find a bug and put it on his head," Trey explained, still grinning impishly. "He's half-asleep now. If we sneak over to him, we can put it on his head without him even knowing. He'll think it's a spider and freak out."

Skunk thought for a moment and then nodded in approval. "I like the way you think, kid. I'm game."

They snuck over to where Twiggy was "sleeping" on the grass, somewhat close to the pool of water. Indeed, he looked as if he was taking a nap, but in reality he was just lying down, eyes closed, _pretending_ to sleep. It was all part of the master trickery plan.

"Got the beetle?" Trey whispered while he padded over to the side of Twiggy that was closest to the pond.

Skunk nodded his head, bringing up a forepaw, which had a beetle crawling on it, down slowly close to his younger brother's head. "Ready?" Trey whispered, although it was not directed to Skunk, rather, to Twiggy. The mud-coloured wolfos couldn't help but crack a small grin; a grin which his brother failed to notice.

"NOW TWIGGY!" Trey hollered, much to Skunk's surprise. Before the black and white wolfos had a chance to think about this, Twiggy and Trey had leapt backwards to the bank of the pond, where they splashed a small wave of water on the unsuspecting babysitter.

Water drenched his fur as the teenage wolfos screamed, rather girlishly, and scrambled backwards, running around the small clearing, trying to shake the water off. "Get it off, get it off, get it off!" He squealed, obviously afraid of the "terrifying" water. Trey and Twiggy were still near the bank, rolling around on the grass, laughing their tails off. Sandy couldn't help but giggle at the babysitter's antics, but Autumn was not impressed.

Skunk had no idea where he was going, and stopped directly in front of the two girl wolfos, where he shook his fur with all his might. Water droplets sprinkled the grass and even the two girls, who had totally different opinions on the scene. Sandy giggled even more as the water hit her fur, and she couldn't help but laugh at Skunk's humorous appearance after he shook out all the water from his fur; he looked like a giant fuzz ball!

Autumn "hmmphed" as she shook herself dry too. "That was childish." She hissed at the still-guffawing-pups. She turned to Sandy and sighed. "Boys can be _so immature_."

The sand-coloured wolfos smiled. "Maybe. But I thought it was a very clever and well-thought of prank." She giggled again, while Autumn "hmmphed" once more.

Skunk, the now black fuzz ball, spun around and drew his lip back into a snarl. "Just wait 'til I get my paws on you two!" He roared at the pranksters, who had stopped laughing, only to gulp in fear of Skunk. "I'll rip your tails off with my bare claws!"

He charged at the two, who yelped and sprinted away, running around in circles in the clearing, which suppressed growing giggles from Sandy. The babysitter roared various threats at the two pranksters, who had changed direction, running out of the clearing, Skunk still at their heels.

"After them!" Sandy laughed with fake anger. "Get the two hooligans!" And with that, she bounded after the three boys, who were currently tearing through the woods like rabid badgers.

"Wait for me!" Autumn called, also sprinting in after her friends, although she wasn't thrilled about the idea.

With light paws and pink tongues flopping out of their mouths, the jokester duo sprinted through the foliage of the Lost Woods, the growling of Skunk close behind them. "Quick! Into the Sacred Meadow!" Twiggy exclaimed, causing Trey to turn to the right, entering the Sacred Meadow, Twiggy right behind him.

Shadow and another male wolfos sat in the cool, lush grass of the Sacred Meadow, obviously bored with their guard work there. "Good grief, it's so boring today." Shadow sighed. "I wish something _exciting_ would happen for once…"

As if on cue, in a rush of gold and brown, two pups sprinted past the dark pelted wolfos, making his fur fly past him. The two speeding pups hastily crawled underneath the hedges, continuing their sprint through the maze of the Sacred Meadow. Just as Shadow was about to do a double take, a rush of black and white fur sped past him at full speed, also squirming underneath the hedges.

Shadow gazed blankly at the other wolfos guard, not knowing what to say. Autumn and Sandy emerged through the entrance to the Sacred Meadow, Autumn hurrying ahead of her friend. Sandy stopped running for a moment, greeting the two wolfos. "Hello mister Shadow! Hello mister Rocky! Sorry, I can't talk at the moment; I have to make sure Skunk doesn't tear the others to shreds! Bye!" And with that, polite little Sandy bounded away, scuttling underneath the hedge.

A moment of awkward silenced passed between the two guards, as they stared at each other with expressions of wonder, question, and humour. "Was…Was that Trey and Twiggy back there running away from Skunk?" Shadow asked, finally breaking the silence.

The two pranksters, who still running for dear life, entered the clearing of the Sacred Meadow, hurrying to find high areas to hide in. There were some stones that made natural steps near the high rock wall of the clearing. Twiggy hopped on them, scurrying onto the top of the wall, keeping still so that his brother wouldn't notice him. Trey, on the other hand, found a high stump, which he quickly clambered on top of. He sat down for a moment, panting, but leapt up to his feet when he saw Skunk lunging towards him. A branch, not very high away from him, dangled above his heard and he sprung up on his back paws just as Skunk landed on the spot where he was.

The branch wobbled, but Trey managed to keep his balance as he sprung up onto an even higher branch above his head. He sighed with relief as he saw that Skunk was not willing to climb the tree to fetch him down. It was a plus in his case, for wolfos cannot climb trees, although keatons cannot either. Trey had just been fortunate enough to keep his balance on the branch. The branch he was perched on shook violently from the foreign weight on it, and little Trey clutched the branch tight to his chest, wrapping his legs around it.

"Guys!" He wailed, scared. "Help! I can't down!"

"You deserve it!" Autumn hollered back, but was quickly shushed by her friend.

"Don't worry Trey; we'll get you down!" Sandy called up to him, trying to reassure the keaton in any way.

"It's too late!" Trey cried back, watching as Twiggy now joined the spectators below. "The branch is cracking!"

Indeed the branch Trey was clinging onto was snapping, slowly, bit by bit, in a torturous slow motion. Trey kept clawing fruitlessly at the branch, terrified at the thought of falling. Then, as if his fears were living creatures, the branch snapped off all the way, and with a scream, the keaton came tumbling down from the tree, branch falling with him. The goddesses were on his side though, as he fell in a huge pile of leaves, breaking his fall sufficiently. The branch landed close to him, luckily not on top of him.

"Trey!" The voices of Skunk, Twiggy, and Sandy called out his name as they rushed to the pile of leaves, Skunk unearthing him from the leaves.

"Are you alright?" Sandy asked, worry evident on her facial features as she stepped forward to the keaton.

He nodded his head, still trying to collect himself. "Yeah, I'm fine…I'm just lucky these leaves were here."

"That you were." Skunk chimed in, a hint of worry also in his tone.

"Guys…I think we should leave now and go home." Autumn suggested in a soft toned voice, as if nervous about something. The others looked to what she was staring at, as a sense of dread washed over them as they saw the branch lying lifelessly on the ground.

They had broken one of the rules of the Sacred Meadow.

-oOoOo-

"Okay, now all we have to do is lay low and not say anything about the accident," Twiggy whispered to his friend, swallowing a lump of anxiety in his throat. "No one will know that we did it, and everything will be fine. As long as no one rats us out, we'll be cool…"

"Daddy! Daddy!" Autumn's familiar voice rung through the secret hideaway, mocking the two friends' fears.

"Crumbs."

Blaze trotted over, appearing seemingly out of nowhere, to his daughter, whom he nuzzled fatherly. "Hello Autumn, I'm glad to see you're okay."

"Daddy, you won't believe what Trey did in the Sacred Meadow!" Autumn grinned a grin that made Trey's stomach flip over. It was like she _wanted_ to get him in trouble.

Blaze's face suddenly became very dark and very serious. "What? What did he do?"

Her grin widened. "He broke a large branch off of a tree!"

The keaton pup felt his fur prickle uneasily as he saw Blaze's fiery gaze flicker on him for what seemed to be forever. "Is that so?" He replied, ears flattening themselves as his lip drew back into a small snarl. "I guess we'll have to discuss a _punishment_ with his _mother_ then." He sneered, sauntering away to find White Foot, Autumn at his heels.

Twiggy spat on the ground as soon as the father and daughter were out of hearing range. "Daddy's little girl." He mocked harshly with a hiss, narrowing his eyes at the tattle-tale.

"Oh man I am so _dead_…" Trey whined, tails drooping sadly.

Twiggy was about to comfort his pal when his mother's voice rang throughout the air, calling him back home. "I have to go. I'm sorry Trey." He pressed his nose to the keaton's side briefly before he sprinted away, leaving the nervous keaton by himself.

He lay down and placed his head on his paws, thinking of the possibilities of the outcome of this "rule-breaking". Blaze could punish him severely, was the first thought that popped into his mind. Or, Blaze could punish him lightly, which would be alright, depending on what "light" meant. And the third outcome could be Blaze not punishing him at all, but that was highly unlikely.

"You. Come here." Trey lifted his head from his paws only to find Blizzard standing in front of him, rather arrogantly. "Blaze wants to talk with you." She snapped choppily again, turning and walking away, not even waiting for Trey to follow.

The keaton picked himself up from the ground, speedily hurrying after the alpha female as she made her way to where Blaze's den was. White Foot was already there, lying down in front of Blaze, who turned his attention to Blizzard and Trey.

White Foot's eyes were worried, Trey noted to himself as he sat next to his mother; her expression was clear as day. "Blaze says you broke a branch in the Sacred Meadow," She began slowly, not quite sure if this was a joke or for real. "Why'd you do it Trey? I thought your father talked to you about the rules of the Sacred Meadow…"

"He did." He barked quickly, lowering his eyes in embarrassment. "And…It was an accident! I promise! I-I-I was climbing and…the branch broke. It was completely accidental, it's not my fault!" He explained nervously, hoping that his leader would be forgiving enough to punish him lightly for his crime.

Before the pup could go on anymore about how this crime was indeed an accident, Blaze silenced him with an interjection, "It matters not if it were accidental or purposely done; what matters is it _happened_." He growled deeply in his throat, ears flattened against his skull, obviously not pleased with Trey's actions.

"You do realize what you've done, don't you Trey?" Blizzard also chimed in, her deep aqua eyes boring into Trey's scared and apprehensive ones. "The Sacred Meadow is somewhat like a holy temple for us, and for the Forest Sage. It's already privilege enough that the Sage of Forest is willing enough to let us roam those grounds; all she asks in favour of us is that the Meadow is kept in the finest condition."

Trey bowed his head low, bracing himself for chastisement from the alpha male.

"We will not let this go unpunished, young Trey." Blaze hissed, his eyes flickering back and forth from Trey to his mother. "At the break of day tomorrow you shall spend three consecutive days alone in the Sacred Meadow with nothing to eat or drink, except for a few laps of the water that sits in the Meadow. You will think about what you've done and pray to the Forest Sage for forgiveness for your violation to the holy grounds. Do I make myself clear, boy?"

Trey nodded his head solemnly, suppressing the urge to cry out and beg for forgiveness. "Yes sir." He whispered.

There were a few more growls from Blaze before he finally barked out, "You are dismissed. You will not be permitted to leave for the rest of the day."

With a quick bow of his head, Trey slowly retreated from the meeting, tails between his legs. As he walked away, he heard his mother question, "Don't you think that's a little harsh for a pup his age?"

"No, he needs to learn from his mistakes." Came Blaze's stern reply.

He was going to eavesdrop a little more, but couldn't as Twiggy had bounded up in front of his nose, blinking with curiosity. "Well? What happened?"

The golden-furred pup sighed and hung his head. "I'm spending three days by myself in the Sacred Meadow."

"Ooh, solitude. Rough. Sorry to hear 'bout that, bud…" Twiggy, for once, was pretty calm and collected, speaking with a serious tone to his friend.

-oOoOo-

Morning approached faster than it should have, and Trey was once again awakened by a nudging in the ribs, although this one was not friendly. He slowly opened his eyes, groaning inwardly at seeing Blizzard's cold stare upon him. "Get up. Let's get moving."

Not so thrilled at the thought, the keaton complied, following the alpha to his punishment.

He just hoped that the Sage of Forest was merciful enough to forgive him.

-oO **T.B.C** Oo-

**Dairokkan:** He'll be a little shocked at first, yes, but he won't "freak out" and go ballistic, if you know what I mean. His parents don't know what his reaction _will_ be, that's why they're taking it slow, just in case he did flip. Trey is a calm and collected keaton, so he knows how to control himself and his emotions. n-n

**Speedfox:** Thanks for the fav and alert!

**Talimthewindwaker:** Yup. n-n Thanks for the fav, by the way.


	4. Unanswered Questions

**Summary:** When a wolfos mother adopts a keaton pup, controversy arises in the pack. What happens when the keaton later learns of his hidden past? And what happens when he stumbles upon a Kokiri child in the forest? How will all of this affect his future?  
**Rating:** K plus, but this might change in future time.  
**Flames? **No flames, please, although a bit of constructive criticism is nice. But, by all means, am I not refusing the offer of a friendly review! ;) Don't be shy in reviewing; I won't bite!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.  
I do, however, own all the identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera.

**Author's Notes:** Once again, I apologize for my delay in chapter four. Things have been slow, in life and also writing this. I hope you readers are pleased with the outcome; I am genuinely happy myself. n-n However, I will become _very_ busy _very_ soon, so more chapters might be delayed as well. I apologize in advance for this, but I have priorities I must complete, some are more important than writing, sadly…Oh, and there is a short time skip in this chapter, but you'll read about that soon enough.

-oOoOo-

**Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing  
****-  
****Chapter Four: Unanswered Questions**

-oOoOo-

Temperatures rose considerably through the night, and by the afternoon of the following day, it was at an almost unbearable temperature in the forest. Summer had finally come, and now wolfos young and old were panting from the heat, wishing with a groan that it was still spring. Trey occupied a continuously eyed shady space in the hideaway, one that was directly underneath the mammoth trunk of a mighty tree. The shade felt better from the heat, yes, but it was not as cool as one would hope for. It had been months since his arrival in the wolfos pack, and what was once young, naive Trey was now a maturing keaton entering his juvenile years.

As he and the other pups grew into their teenage years as well, more and more of his friends had begun to shy away from him, as if they were nervous about being around him. Twiggy was still Trey's friend, although they hardly hung out anymore. It seemed like his mud-coloured friend was also hesitant to be in his presence.

The keaton watched as his eccentric, comic-relief friend prance around the clearing happily, undying energy always flowing through him. He didn't look bothered at all by the heat, unlike everyone else. "Hey Twigs," Trey called, ceasing his panting to speak. "Just looking at your thick pelt in the sun makes me hot! Aren't you at least a little bit uncomfortable in this summer heat?"

A clump of thick, matted mud fur that was Twiggy spun around in a flash of brown, grinning like a bandit. "Nope! Not at all!" He declared in a happy, sing-song voice. "I don't understand how everyone is so hot; it's _so nice_ out!" This comment received numerous groans from close-by wolfos, especially the older, more vulnerable to the temperature, ones.

"Oi, sit down before I hafta git up an' git yah myself!" An elderly wolfos growled, obviously annoyed with the perky behaviour of the teenage wolfos. "Yer makin' us _all_ hot by lookin' at'cha!"

Twiggy smirked, raised his nose in the air, and with a couple flicks of his tail, he pranced around the clearing with light paws. "Ah, stop being a wet rag, ya old sack of deku nuts! This is great weather, and I love it! You should too."

The old wolfos growled and glared at the prancing Twiggy. "That's no way ta talk ta yer elders!" He was rising from his spot in the shade, still glaring at the teenage wolfos. He was quickly stopped, though, when another wolfos stopped him by touching his tail with her own.

"This heat is getting to your head, grandfather," A meek voice said to him. Trey craned his neck a little, smiling when he spotted Sandy standing next to her grandfather. "Twiggy's just being silly." The old wolfos grumbled something as he settled himself back down in the shade.

The keaton chuckled at this as he watched Skunk appear from the entrance of the hideaway. He too had grown sufficiently over the past few months, and was nearing the end of his teenage years. Muscles under black fur rippled as he trotted over to where his friends sat underneath a tree where he bent his head downwards, saying something to them that the keaton could not hear. Skunk's two rough-looking friends exchanged words with each other, as if discussing that no one was supposed to hear as they stood up from their laying positions.

Twiggy rushed over to his older brother, tail sweeping back and forth as he bellowed out for all the pack to hear, "Really! Can I come too?"

Trey cocked his head to one side before silently padding over to the group, curious now on what they were discussing. "Ssh, not so loud, bock head! Do you want the whole pack to hear?" One of the gruff wolfos snapped with a hiss.

Twiggy giggled insanely for a moment, receiving blank stares from the three older wolfos. "Sorry!" He apologised, still giggling. "But can I go?'

Skunk's eyes rolled skyward. "Tch. _Fine_. You can go, but don't tell anyone." Ignoring the last part, Twiggy suppressed a yowl of joy as he bounded up and down rapidly. Skunk and his two friends' eyes immediately widened as they swung their heads back and forth, trying to make sure that no one heard the sound. "Shut up, Twiggy! Shut up!" Skunk hissed, ears flattening. "I don't want the others to come too."

"Hey guys, where are ya going?" Trey asked innocently, his voice making all four wolfos jump out of their fur.

"Trey! We didn't even know you were _here_." Skunk's friend released a breath, heart still pounding from the shock.

Skunk narrowed his eyes at the keaton. "Where we are going is our business, not yours, and we will not tell—"

"We're going to a super secret spring for a swim!" Twiggy interrupted his brother, tail sweeping back and forth rapidly. This comment earned the hyper wolfos teen three vicious, ready to kill glares from the others.

"You idiot!" Skunk roared, ramming into his brother with his head. "You weren't supposed to _tell_ him about the super secret spring! That's why it's a _secret_ spring!"

The keaton teen smiled happily at the idea of swimming in a nice, cool spring to escape the sweltering temperatures of the cruel summer months. "Wow! That sounds heavenly!" He sighed, hazel eyes glittering. "May I come too? Please?"

"No way!" The deep voice of Skunk's friend, a pale grey wolfos, snapped almost instantly after Trey's question. "It's bad enough we have to take beetle-for-brains here; we don't need another pup to take care of!" He glanced over to said Twiggy, who was scratching his ear with a ferocious pace, while his jaw was wide open and head titled towards the sky.

Trey puffed out his chest slightly. "I'm no pup! Twiggy and I can take care of ourselves!"

"Well, we don't want no long-eared _freaks_ to join us anyway!" The other friend snapped, a smirk on his lips. Instantly, the keaton teen backed down a little, his tails drooping sadly. They had pushed a severe button on the keaton; he knew he looked different from the others, and his ears were just one of the things that the others loved to pick on.

Trey stood his ground though, trying his best not to look hurt, although the three older wolfos were laughing at their buddy's joke. The keaton shot a "well, aren't you going to help me?" glance at his only friend in the pack, but Twiggy just lowered his head and kneaded the ground uncertainly with his paws.

"Please may I go?" He tried again, mentally shaking off the pang of hurt he felt. "I promise I won't tell anybody…" The older wolfos grumbled something, still looking uncertain, when Trey added, "I just want to cool down. Is that so much to ask for?"

Skunk sighed. "Fine, you can come, but don't spread it around."

The keaton let out a breath of relief. "Thanks Skunk! Thank you so much! You won't regret it, I promise!" The handsome black and white wolfos just grumbled something as he turned around, his two friends at his heels. "So when are we leaving?"

"Now." Came the sharp response from Skunk as he disappeared through the vine-coverings.

-oOoOo-

"Wow," Trey and Twiggy breathed simultaneously as the small group entered a clearing, well-hidden in the gargantuan foliage of the Lost Woods. No wonder Skunk wanted to keep this place secret! There was a huge-sized, still-moving pond sitting placidly in the midst of cool, soft grass. The trees intertwined overhead, creating dappled lighting in the clearing that danced on the water's crystal surface. A few fairies danced around the bank of the spring, making reflections in the water.

"Look at how refreshing that water looks!" Trey squealed, forcing his eyes off of the gorgeous sight for a moment to look at Twiggy. He smirked mischievously as he added, "Race ya to it!"

Twiggy instantly responded to his friend's expression with a similar one of his own. "You're on!" The two juveniles took their positions, eyes fixed on the pond, tensing their muscles as Twiggy said slowly, "Ready? Set..." He prolonged the silence between the words "set" and "go" when he finally shouted out, "GO-LDFISH!" Trey had started to sprint forward, but stopped abruptly, toppling over his own paws when he realized what Twiggy had said.

The mud-coloured wolfos was still in his racing position, grinning slyly while giggling. "You stupid deku nut," Trey said with a fake anger as he pushed his friend with his nose. "Just for that I'll splash you extra hard. Now be serious this time."

"Heeheehee…Okay, Okay." Twiggy coughed as Trey went back into the old position before starting again. "Ready? Set…" Another prolonged silence. "GO!" At this, the two teens sprinted as fast as their bodies could go, wind tearing through their thick pelts and tongues lolling out of their mouths as the cool water became closer and closer with each bound. They sprung off of the ground with a mighty force as they both crashed down into the water, creating a loud crashing sound along with many ripples in the water.

Trey came to the surface for air, as did Twiggy, both panting and laughing from the run and from the instantly refreshing water. "Who won?" Twiggy asked, now treading water in one spot.

"I don't know. I think it was a tie. Hey Skunk," Trey called over to the muscular black and white wolfos, who sat on a rock, far away from the water, while he chatted with one of his two friends. He had only come to the "Super Secret Spring" because the atmosphere was cool and shady, not because of the attraction of water.

He groaned and looked over his shoulder. "What?" He snapped, clearly annoyed with the actions of the two juveniles.

"Who won?" The two, now wet, friends hollered at the same time.

Skunk shrugged as he watched his friend bound away, after the other one, who were headed towards the water. "Who cares? It doesn't matter anyway."

Twiggy groaned as he rolled his eyes. "Ugh, brother, you're such a wet rag!"

"I'm not the one who's _wet_." He spat the word out as he began to chew lazily on a piece of grass. "Just keep that _water_ away from me." He visibly shuddered.

"'Hey Skunk, I think we should play a prank on your brother!'" Trey imitated a younger, higher-pitched toned voice, still remembering the incident in the forest many months ago. Twiggy started to laugh at Trey's impression, now also remembering the awesome joke the duo had pulled. "'He's half-asleep now. If we sneak over to him, we can put a bug on his head without him knowing. He'll think it's a spider and freak out!'" He added more emphasis on each word, still in his high pitched tone. Twiggy was still laughing insanely at the impression, and had to swim to the bank to make sure he wouldn't drown in the water.

"Hardee har har. Very funny you guys." Twiggy's older brother rolled his eyes again before glaring at the two friends. "I still haven't forgotten about what trauma you caused me that day."

"Trauma? More like _drama_!" His younger brother exclaimed theatrically with a high-pitched, mocking tone, while he scrambled up on the bank and falling, back-first, into the water, as if fainting. The keaton broke out into laughs like his friend, who had appeared from underneath the water. They were having too much fun reminiscing on their nostalgia to notice the two larger wolfos swim behind them.

With a shocked-beyond-belief yowl, the laughing duo were pinned down underneath the surface, all thanks to Skunk's friends. Twiggy's brother smirked as he watched his brother and his friend flail around under the paws of his friends helplessly. "Thanks guys, they deserved that." He chuckled, still watching as the keaton and brown-pelted wolfos came from the depths of the pond, gasping and flailing their paws about.

"That wasn't funny!" Trey gasped, trying to fill his lungs with air. "We could've drowned!"

The two older wolfos in the water exchanged looks and laughed. "So? We wouldn't mind."

The pale grey wolfos shot a mock serious glance at his friend. "They're right though; we wouldn't want their dead bodies floating around and contaminating the water!" The gruff young adults chuckled, earning small growls from the juveniles.

Trey said nothing, except glaring at the two, while Twiggy stuck out his tongue at them and made weird faces. "You shouldn't do that, Twigs, otherwise your face might get stuck like that." The older ones laughed at their own joke.

After hours of swimming, lying in the shade, talking, more swimming, and more lying in the shade, Skunk finally heaved a content sigh as he declared, "Who's hungry? Let's get something to eat." The responses to this were in favour of this suggestion as all five boys gathered themselves from the ground and proceeded to pad out of the lush clearing with one last look.

"Keep a lookout for squirrels and rabbits," Skunk whispered, leading the small group through the bushes. "During the summer they're pretty plentiful."

"I smell one!" Twiggy declared softly, standing still and sniffing the air. The others stopped as well, smelling the surroundings. Sure enough, in the ground a little ways away, was a fuzzy brown squirrel burying his food in the ground.

The keaton felt a nudging in his side. Turning his head, he saw it was no other than Twiggy. "That one has your name all over it, bud!" He whispered, staring at the clueless prey.

Trey gulped and suddenly became tongue-tied as his eyes darted from the squirrel to his friend. "I, uh…I think you should have it, Twigs."

The pale grey wolfos rolled his eyes. "Oh for heaven's sake, just catch it already! Twiggy already offered it to you, and since he's the one who spotted it, he calls the shots."

Trey quirked an eyebrow. "Since when were those the rules?"

"Those are the unofficial rules of hunting." He snapped with a small shrug. "Now go get it before it runs away!"

"He's just scared," The other friend of Skunk's scoffed with a smirk. "He thinks he'll be attacked or something."

"That's not true!" Trey snapped back, fur bristling slightly. "I…just think Twiggy should get it first. I mean, after all, he _did_ see it."

"Come on, Trey!" Twiggy barked again. "I want to see your hunting skills in action!"

"Wait a second," Skunk interjected, a thought popping into his mind. "You _can't_ hunt, right? That's the reason! You don't know how to hunt!" Realization hit his two friends as they stared quizzically at the flustered keaton, who was now gulping and wishing that he could suddenly turn invisible and disappear. The heat rose up his neck and face as he realized that there was no getting out of it now.

"Y-yes…I don't know how to hunt." He whispered, lowering his head shamefully.

"Ha! So _that's _it!" The pale grey wolfos laughed loudly, scaring the squirrel away. "He doesn't know how to catch his food! Ha!"

"Aw, does the wittle puppy need his mommy to catch his food for him?" The other young adult joined in with the mocking, his voice babyish for a higher effect. The three older wolfos snickered and snorted, holding back their laughs.

Skunk then snapped off a branch of a nearby bush and threw it at Trey's feet. It had many berries growing on it, the type that would be safe for one to eat. "Here's some puppy food for you, puppy." Trey growled as his long ears flattened against his skull, fur standing straight up on his back. As the three young adults finally released their jeering guffaws, his lip drew back into a vicious snarl, and his paws scratched the dirt dangerously.

"I don't have time to deal with you guys." He spat, sharply turning around to begin trekking back home.

"'Mommy, mommy,'" The wolfos imitated cruelly as the golden fur of the keaton disappeared through the bushes. "'Some mean wolfos hurt my feelings! Waaaah!'" If the keaton's hair could stand up any more than it was now, it would as the wolfos mocking hoots and laughs echoed throughout the woods.

"I'll show them." He muttered as he stomped away from the clearing.

-oOoOo-

The two guards of the Sacred Meadow, Shadow and Rocky, lay on the grass, panting from the heat. Guard duty was almost unbearable in the summer months, considering that there was not a single tree in the area they were positioned at. Still, the two wolfos toughed it out, knowing that it was honour enough to have this job.

They said nothing, trying to save strength for keeping cool and awake, but when the sound of wings cutting through the air were heard, Shadow's ears swivelled as he broke the silence with a, "I'm taking my break now, okay Rocky?" The deep brown male only responded with a lazy nod of his head, watching through the corner of his eye as his partner scurried underneath the hedge.

The handsome dark grey wolfos paused for a moment through the maze of hedges to take a lap or two of water from a shallow pool nearby. The icy freshness of the liquid seemed to do the trick as it gave him a small jolt of newly discovered energy to carry through the heat of the afternoon. Almost automatically, Shadow arrived in the clearing of the Sacred Meadow, turning his head this way and that, looking for someone.

"Toohoo, greetings Shadow." The crisp, clear voice in the clearing made the dark grey wolfos spin around with a small jump.

He sighed, relived, with a smile as he sat himself down on the grass, tail lying lazily behind him. "Kaepora Gaebora," He started, "You always scare me when you do that." He chuckled lightly.

The wisely owl turned his head upside down with a chuckle himself. "Ah, forgive me. Toohoo. I do not mean to."

Shadow waved a forepaw passively. "Think nothing of it, my friend. What brings you to the Sacred Meadow on such a day as this?"

Gaebora's head swivelled back to its rightful place. "Just to catch up, toohoo. I have not conversed with you in many months."

"That is true," Shadow said quietly with an understanding nod of his head. "How is the outside world? Any going ons?"

The sage paused for a moment, thinking. Shadow had his head inclined up a little, looking up at the perched owl. "Hmm, well, the King of the Desert is visiting with Hyrule's king, a fishing hole has been opened just recently by Lake Hylia, and Lady Impa has become more and more distant, as if pondering something. But these things matter not to the wolfos, I suppose." He grew quiet and his eyes seemed to stare into time itself, as if knowing something that he wished not to say. "But tell me friend, how are you doing? I trust your mate is well, as are your children?"

Shadow bowed his head sorrowfully as he replied, "I am as fit as an oxen, and White Foot is as lively as spring, but I bring terrible news of our pups." Kaepora Gaebora instantly became interested, as he leaned closer from his perch on the branch. "Shortly after the last time we spoke to each other, White Foot took them on a training expedition…They were killed by the Hylians of the ranch." He really had hoped that this topic would not be brought up by his owl friend, but he knew that it was as certain as autumn that it would.

The elderly fowl's dark chocolate eyes gleamed with compassion for his wolfos friend. "I am terribly sorry to hear that, dear Shadow." His words were heartfelt and not full of superficial pity. "I wish I had known earlier of this tragedy, as I would have liked to have mourned with you and your mate when the time was right, toohoo."

Shadow gave a small, sad smile. "Thank you greatly, Gaebora. It means a lot to me and White Foot, too." The owl smiled too, and the two creatures just sat in the midst of each other for a few moments, thinking of what to say to each other. It seemed like forever since they had spoken to each other, and like all relationships that have a hiatus in them, it was difficult to find words to speak. Shadow thought of Trey, and wondered if he should tell his friend of the keaton's arrival. He hesitated, but made up his mind.

"However…" He started, trailing off.

Kaepora Gaebora cocked his head to one side. "Yes? What is it, toohoo?"

"We have…adopted a pup in place of the three we lost."

"'Adopted'?" The owl repeated, wondering what his friend was getting to.

Shadow smiled again. "Yes. It is wonderful to be a father again, although, there is a twist to this. Our adopted pup is…"

"Dad!" Shadow ceased his sentence for a moment as he and Gaebora looked at the entrance to the clearing where the little voice was coming from. Almost as soon as the two heard the voice call out throughout the meadow, a bounding yellow figure emerged from the entrance to the clearing. "Dad!" He called out again, this time spotting his father and sprinting forward to meet him.

"Hello champ," Shadow greeted, getting up onto his paws. "Back from swimming so soon?"

Trey nodded. "Yes, it was fun. Listen, dad, there's something I need to ask you."

"Why, look what we have here!" Gaebora chuckled, his statement earned two pairs of eyes glancing in his direction.

The juvenile keaton jumped and took a step back, eyes wide with shock. "Heavens above!" He exclaimed, his startled gaze never leaving the wise owl for a moment. "Dad, look at the _size_ of that owl!"

Kaepora Gaebora let out a couple of humorous hoots as Shadow said to his son, "Trey, I want you to meet my friend Kaepora Gaebora."

If Trey's hazel eyes could widen any more than they were, they would. "This is Kaepora Gaebora?" He asked, instantly knowing the name. His shocked appearance quickly subsided as he grinned and greeted, "It's a pleasure meeting you, Mister Gaebora!"

"My, what great manners this young man has, toohoo. It is a pleasure meeting you too, lad."

"This is my…son, Trey." Shadow introduced, pride showing in his eyes. He turned to face his son with a smile. "What do you need, champ?"

"Will you teach me to hunt?" He asked, no hesitation in his voice.

Gaebora's eyes widened a little at the fact that his juvenile, who had lived with wolfos for as long as he could remember, did not even know how to do something as simple as hunting. "I'm afraid not, Trey. I'm still on guard duty. Why don't you ask your mother? She'll surely teach you."

Trey nodded slowly, as he turned to leave. He stopped and looked over his shoulder before exiting though. "I hope to see you again, Mister Gaebora."

The sage nodded. "Likewise Trey. Take care, toohoo!" When they were sure the young teenage keaton was out of hearing range, the wise sage spoke again. "Does he…know?" He cocked his head to one side.

Shadow shook his head. "He knows not. White Foot and I planned on telling him later…When we feel is he old enough to comprehend."

Gaebora gave a slow nod, not knowing if this was such a good idea or not. Who knew how the young keaton would react? The owl was wise, yes, but he could not read minds. He turned his head around, so that the back of his head was facing his friend, as he gazed out into the Meadow with sharp eyes. "It looks as if your partner is getting antsy," He hooted, his head rotating again into its rightful place. "I suppose you should get back to guard duty before he starts to wonder if you've run away. Toohoo." He hooted with humour, making the dark wolfos chuckle as well.

"May the goddesses be with you." Shadow grinned, watching as his friend beat his mammoth wings to lift him off the branch.

"The same to you, my friend. I do hope to see you soon, toohoo!" The deep grey wolfos inclined his head more, watching with wonder as the wisely old owl soar through the skies, blocking the sun for a moment with his giant body.

Trey sprinted through the familiar foliage of the Lost Woods, knowing exactly where to go to reach the hideaway. He had travelled this path many a time, and it was almost second nature to him now. He passed through the hanging vine entrance, instantly beginning his search for a white-pawed wolfos.

He walked through the huge, rock-surrounded clearing, constantly straining his ears and making sure he didn't miss a single scent. He stopped in his tracks on seeing the very familiar figure of his mother pad over to him. "Hello," She greeted, sitting in front of him. "Is anything the matter? I saw you sprint in here like something was wrong." Instantly at the thought, her cheery smile dissipated, and without even waiting for her adopted son to respond, asked worriedly, "Something is wrong, isn't there? Oh, did Twiggy break his leg? Did you get attacked by something? Are the others lost in the woods?"

Trey shook his head hurriedly; trying to make sure his mother wouldn't worry over nothing. "No, no, no!" He spoke defensively, watching as the she-wolfos' expression lightened up with relief. "Nothing like that, I promise! I just…" He pawed the dirt beneath his paws hesitantly. "Can you teach me to hunt? Please?"

White Foot took in air through her nose as she suddenly realized that she had never actually taught her adopted son to do one of the most basic activities wolfos knew how to do! Most other children would get taught at early ages, to ensure that they become experienced hunters by their mid-juvenile years. She had been wrapped up, still, in the passing of her old children that she had forgotten to teach Trey these things. Something nagged inside of her, and the she-wolfos realized with a slight guilt that she had been too scared for the safety of Trey, for the pups had died on the training expedition. She hesitated for a moment, but then nodded her head slowly, knowing that this had to be done. "Of course. Let me just tell Blizzard and we'll be on our way."

Trey grinned as his tails swept back and forth, his hazel eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

-oOoOo-

"Okay, now that you know the basic guidelines, let's begin our trek." White Foot announced, getting up onto her paws, her adopted keaton son close behind. "What do we do first?" She asked now in a hushed, whisper-like tone.

"Keep as quiet as possible while keeping your senses sharp." Trey whispered back, padding after his mother quietly.

The scent of a rabbit drifted along the breeze, finding its way to Trey, who instantly picked up the smell. "I smell a rabbit!" He whispered excitedly, the smell growing stronger with each footstep. Mother and son crept along, silently, in the bushes, not daring to make a single sound.

Sure enough, past the small row of ferns sat a tiny brown hare, who was currently nibbling on a piece of grass. The keaton pressed himself close to the foliage, trying not to stick out. It was easy for his mother to disguise herself, for she had a grey pelt, while he had a bright yellow fur that stuck out among the green of the forest. White Foot didn't need to say anything to her adopted son; he was already preparing himself to chase after the small piece of meat.

In a bright golden blur, Trey launched himself from the ferns, startling the unsuspecting creature. He snapped his jaws at it as it ran in blinding fast pace, trying to escape the threatening danger. With an excited smirk, the keaton raced after the prey, White Foot also joining in on the chase. The white-pawed wolfos sprinted faster, catching the rabbit unawares by skidding in front of it. It recalled back before Trey had a chance to think as it sped right under his legs.

A little shocked at this move, the keaton turned and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He had underestimated the animal; despite its small, friendly-looking appearance, it was actually an extremely speedy creature. He snapped his jaws a couple for times, inching closer to the tail of the hare, and grunting in frustration as the rabbit took a sharp turn, throwing him off on his sprint considerably.

He paid little attention to where he was headed; it was just a blind, frustrated, hunger-driven race against his meal. The hare entered a huge, tunnel-like log that seemed to go on for eternity, and before Trey could even set foot on the log, he felt a sharp tug on his tail that prevented him from going any further.

With an enraged yelp, he spun around, ears flattened against his skull. White Foot stood tight on her paws, looking just as impervious as a mighty tree. "Stop, Trey." She barked, her ice-like eyes flashing with authority and…worry? "Let it go. You'll find another one soon enough."

"Why did you do that?" Trey hissed, a ghost of a snarl appearing for a moment. "I almost had it! I could've _caught_ it!"

White Foot narrowed her eyes. "Do not speak to me in such a tone. It was for your own good."

The keaton lowered his voice a little. "How is _that_ so?"

"This leads to the Village." She hissed, more worry now twinkling in her eyes than the authority. "_Never_ go to the Village." She turned, flicking her tail in a motion for her son to follow. Upon seeing Trey's confused features, she sighed with a, "Remember how I told you about the Hylians?" The keaton nodded slowly. "A race of Hylian cubs live in the Village. You never want to go there. Ever."

The keaton snorted as he sat down and watched as his mother jogged up to a bush of berries a ways off. "'Hylian _cubs_'? I could've beaten them; it wouldn't have been a problem."

"_No_." The grey wolfos hissed sharply, hair rising on her neck. "You couldn't have. Don't you ever underestimate them, do you understand? The Hylians are powerful, and even as cubs, they can band together and outnumber you." Trey opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted again by White Foot. "They're killers, and they _will_ kill you." She was silent for a moment. "I've seen it happen before." She plucked a berry or two off the bush, chewing on it to suffice her hunger.

Trey gulped slightly as he lowered his body to the ground, closing his eyes for a moment. "Alright mum; I understand." He opened his eyes slowly, expecting to see his mother eating the berries peacefully, but what he saw in front of him made his instinctive-protection-sense kick in. A female keaton was behind White Foot, hackles raised, preparing to attack.

"Mum! Behind you!" He screamed, launching himself from the ground and onto the surprised female keaton. White Foot spun around, ready to fight with whatever Trey was so worried about. Keaton and keaton rolled on the grass, clawing blindly at each other. Trey snapped his jaws with a deep, warning-like growl as he scratched the female keaton's leg with his claws.

Finally blinking out of her rage-driven state, the female keaton gasped when she realized who she was fighting against. She released her guard and, surprisingly, smiled at Trey. Trey, knowing when his enemy had given up, released the keaton from his grasp, still growling at her as she collected herself from the ground. Her blue eyes danced happily as she stared incredulously at Trey. The keaton shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of his attacker, eyes still fixed on his foe. "By the moon," She breathed, taking a small step forward. "I don't believe my eyes!"

Trey scratched the ground underneath his paws defensively, not knowing what this keaton wanted. He saw his mother, though the corner of his eye, do the same for some odd reason. "Do I _know_ you?" Trey snapped, trying to make his fur stand out to make himself look mightier in the face of a threat.

"It…It's really you!" She ignored his question, taking another step forward, while Trey took a step back. "I never thought you'd be alive, Aiden!"

Trey's eyes widened as he felt himself growing hot in the neck. "I…I beg your pardon?"

The keaton squealed and jumped a few times, much like Twiggy did. She looked as if she would cry a waterfall of relieved tears, just by looking at her joyful expression. "After they found out what you did, I never thought I'd see you again!" She rushed forward with light paws, attempting to embrace with Trey, but the keaton stopped her tracks with a roar and fearsome snarl.

"_Get back_." He hissed, emphasising each word with rage.

The keaton frowned. "What is wrong?"

"Don't make me rip out your tails, _keaton scum_!" This time it was Trey who was taking the steps forward, while the foe took the steps back.

Her blue eyes were wide and trembling with unknowing. "A-Aiden? What is wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?"

"Leave, or we will be forced to drive you out ourselves." White Foot chimed in with a growl, now stepping beside her adopted son. Too much information could be leaked out, and this was the wrong time for any of this to happen.

The enemy cast blank looks back and forth between Trey and White Foot, gulping in confusion and fear. She nodded her head slowly and with tails tucked between her legs, she turned and headed back from where she came from, ears drooping along the way.

A moment of uncomfortable silence passed between mother and son as they stood in the forest, looking in the spot where the attacker had left. Trey felt an odd shiver run down his spine, and he shook his fur to rid it off his body. It was Trey who snapped the silence in half. "What…Why did she call me 'Aiden', mum…?"

White Foot sighed and quickly made something up. "She must be going into her old years. The elderly often lose their memories, and forget what they're doing. She must've mistaken you for this 'Aiden' character." Trey was hesitant, but he bought it anyway. He nodded his head slowly, still slightly confused at the past event. "You…You have learned enough today, Trey." White Foot turned, as did her adopted son. "Come, let us…Let us go home." And with that, they headed through the foliage of the forest, neither saying a single word throughout the entire trip.

-oO **T.B.C **Oo-

**Dairokkan:** I couldn't have said it better myself! Yes, Autumn is a bitch, but it's only from being daughter of the most powerful wolfos in the pack. I do believe you are correct again, that she will not have much respect when she is older.

**Speedfox:**Yes, I really wanted to write something that was different from other stories I have read on I don't know about other readers, but I'm getting a little tired of reading Zelink romance stories…That's just my opinion, after all. n-n; Then again, I'm a Malink fan… xD;

**Ri2:** Exactly correct; Autumn is a bitch! xD; Skunk is funny…Then again, he is related to Twiggy, so why wouldn't he be? ;)

**KM-Kaeshi Midori:** As I said before, I wanted to write a piece of fiction that was a little different from the others…We need a little diversity sometimes; it's what makes life interesting. n-n And no, I don't think I will ever abandon this story like other authors do. I have loved writing this ever since chapter one, and I plan to complete it. No worries:D

Much thanks for the addition to your favourites list, by the way!

**Harrypotterfan: **Thank you, although, can you elaborate more?


	5. The Heat is On

**Summary:** When a wolfos mother adopts a keaton pup, controversy arises in the pack. What happens when the keaton later learns of his hidden past? And what happens when he stumbles upon a Kokiri child in the forest? How will all of this affect his future?  
**Rating:** K plus, but this might change in future time.  
**Flames? **No flames, please, although a bit of constructive criticism is nice. But, by all means, am I not refusing the offer of a friendly review! Don't be shy in reviewing; I won't bite!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.  
I do, however, own all the identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera.

**Author's Notes:** No comment. Let's do the cha-cha.

-oOoOo-

**Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing  
****-  
****Chapter Five: The Heat is On**

-oOoOo-

"I usually sit here," A male wolfos said, adding noise to the already lively Meadow. "But sometimes I sit there." He turned his head the opposite direction, grinning contently all the while. "Isn't that interesting?"

A yellow keaton teen lay next to the wolfos, head on his forepaws. "Mmhmm." He mumbled unenthusiastically, barely keeping his eyes open.

"Ooh, ooh, and you know what's _really_ something?" The dark grey wolfos grinned even wider as his tail swept across the ground happily.

"What?" The keaton replied, his eyelids now drooping lower and lower by the second.

"Sometimes, the clouds I look at in the sky look like schools of fish, swimming through the air!"

"Mmhmm." Came the mumbled reply.

The dark grey wolfos sighed with ecstasy. "Yup. I sure have a great job. What do you think of this, champ? Do ya think you'd like to do something like this when you're older?"

The juvenile suppressed a yawn. "Uh…Maybe. I haven't thought about it yet." Shadow replied with a nod, not saying anything more. The hiatus of silence that hung in the air like a morning fog that followed this was beginning to get uncomfortable and unbearable, even though it only lasted for a few minutes, rather than the feeling of an hour or two's length. "Is Kaepora Gaebora coming today?" The keaton asked suddenly, opening his eyes a little.

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know…I just wanted to talk to him I guess. Never mind. It isn't important." He started to doze off then, despite his fighting inner voice who screamed that he should stay awake. He was tired, unsurprisingly, and this trip to the Sacred Meadow with his father was so_ dull_, that it was easy for one to fall asleep.

The image of the female keaton's hurt face instantly popped up in his day-dreams. It had been a week since the encounter with her during the hunting trip. For a week's worth of nights, she had haunted his dreams, constantly repeating the same words: _A-Aiden? What is wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?_ He visibly shuddered, even though the summer heat beat down relentlessly through his thick pelt. He could still picture her trembling blue eyes, her hurt expression when he told her to "get back". Why did she look so familiar…?

_Aiden…Aiden…Aiden…_ The words echoed in the empty black of his dreams, consistently badgering at him like a bad itch.

_Aiden…Aiden…Trey…Trey…_ Her words changed, and slowly her face was materializing into another character. _Trey…Trey…Trey…Wake up…_The voice became clearer and clearer, yet the identity of it was still a mystery. _Trey_…

"Trey!" The juvenile jumped, eyes startled, at the yelling of his name. He panted for a second, looking blankly out in space in front of him, trying to rid himself of the haunting expression of the keaton. He shivered again once regaining his composure.

He swung his head to the left, where Shadow sat beside him, looking at his adopted son with a rather worried expression on his face. "Are you alright, champ?" He asked, emerald eyes full of compassion.

"Yeah…I'm fine, really." Trey flashed a small smile for a moment, setting his head back on his paws.

"I saw you doze off; was I too boring for you?"

Immediately, the keaton teen's head shot straight up, feeling suddenly guilty for making his father worry. "Oh! No, no, no…Not at all." It was partially a lie; the things that his father was talking about on their "father-son" outing were rather boring topics, and not something particularly interesting. "I'm just tired, that's all. I haven't slept much lately." Now that was the truth. The keaton's words had eaten him alive for that past week, but only at night when Trey had time to think. It was annoying, really; how could he get a wink of sleep like that?

The worried expression returned of Shadow's face. "'Haven't slept much lately'?" He repeated. "What's bothering you? Anything you want to talk about?"

Trey shook his head. "It's just a bad dream I keep having. Nothing serious."

His father still looked uneasy. "Are you sure? Well, if you're positive. Keep in mind that if you have the same dream continually it might be trying to tell you something." Trey gave a slow, hesitant nod at this, ending with a lion-like yawn. Shadow couldn't help but smile at this. "I have an idea. Maybe you want to head home and see if you can catch forty winks. We can always reschedule our outing for another day."

"Alright dad, but if you're sure." An affirmative nod from Shadow was the answer the keaton teen received as he rose to his paws. "Okay, see you later then."

"And remember to sleep _seventy-five _minutes per hour, okay?" Shadow called, with a twinkle in his eye, to his adopted son as he left the Meadow. The keaton chuckled at his father, finally heading back into the hideaway.

A couple of jogs over to his den, after arriving through the covered entrance, he spotted his mother emerging from his home. He stopped instantly, waiting and watching as she spotted him and smiled. "What are you doing back from the outing with your father?" She asked, cocking her head to one side, her smile still in place.

Trey shrugged. "I was tired, so I came back here to sleep."

"Oh," She stepped away from the entrance to the den, allowing free passageway. "Alright then, I won't hold you back." The keaton nodded his thanks to her as he entered the dimly lit den, settling down in a comfortable spot to sleep.

He laid his head on his paws again, now in a semi-curled up position, thinking. He lay awake for some time, trying to think of soothing, happy thoughts, as his mother once told him to do when he was little. She said it "warded off the nightmares, and embraced the good dreams". It had worked once, so why wouldn't it work again? He closed his eyes with a small sigh, picturing the things he found enjoyable:

_Trees…Grass…Fields…Playing with the others…Hunting…_ Almost as soon as he thought of such a subject, the scene from a week ago unearthed itself from the recesses of his mind. The female keaton's hurt blue eyes bore themselves into his mind, mocking him with an unexplained darkness, repeating the words "A-Aiden? What is wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?"

_No._ His mind fought back fiercely, forcing the unwanted images back into the abyss of his mind. _Think of Twiggy. Twiggy's comical antics._ He took a deep breath, released it, and grinned when the image of the mud-coloured wolfos leaping around and trying to bite his own tail appeared before him. It disintegrated into another picture, a picture of a younger version of his friend and himself, grinning and laughing with a childish naivety as they splashed around in a shallow puddle of water, one left over from the rain. What fun times they had together. Soon he thought of the notorious prank they had pulled on Twiggy's older brother, remembering also the girlish shriek of horror emitting from the black and white wolfos as he raced around in circles, traumatized for life. Trey chuckled a little in his half-asleep state, the memory of Skunk's expression emerging from his thoughts. He finally lulled into a sleep, the recollection of Twiggy and himself racing through the forest, Skunk at their heels.

_Although when he drifted deeper into dream-land, he was not racing his friend for the fun, but rather, was running desperately, for his life. The Lost Woods blurred by him, even though the juvenile keaton could see as clear as day the condition of the woods. It was a sickening, heart-quenching sight, for sure; all the beautiful, heaven-touching trees had been blackened completely, and were dieing even as he ran. The grass was brown, dead as well, and painful to the touch, nevertheless, he kept running. All plants were dieing as well, and there were not a single living creature in the forest; no birds, squirrels, rabbits, elk, nothing._

_Trey's pace quickened._

_Where was he running to? He tried to swerve out of his path, trying to head back the way he came, away from this wretched wasteland, formally his home. His efforts proved fruitless as his paws continued to seemingly glide over the grass, deeper and deeper into the decay of the Lost Woods._

_He skidded to a halt, thankfully, but could not move from his spot. It was as if outside forces were holding them down to the ground with a substance unknown to any being. It was stronger than a raging waterfall, tougher than the indestructible evergreen, and fiercer than the growl of a mountain lion. How could he escape such a thing?_

_The crackling and crunching like a giant monster's teeth chewing on tree bark caught his attention as his sensitive ears swivelled towards the sound. A putrid odour filled his nostrils, and he had to cough to rid it out of his lungs, as it seemed to take refuge there. He emitted a panicked gasp as a roaring flame flickered in front of him a distance away. More flames sprang up around him, not close enough for immediate danger. Nevertheless, he pulled lightly at his spell-bound paws, wanting to flee this hellish doom that threatened his life. Birds, ones that Trey failed to notice, squawked and broke tree from the tops of the trees, knowing exactly what death would come to them if they waited too long. With a heavy sigh, the keaton watched them fly away, silently wishing that he had been blessed with the ability to fly. He turned his gaze back onto the ravaging forest fire, his eyes staring emptily into space, tears on the edges of his eyes._

_His home…His only home he had ever known being destroyed in front of his very eyes. Worst of all…_

_There was nothing he could do._

_He felt helpless, like a dependent, lost pup in the baffling maze of the Lost Woods, as he stood glued to the ground watching the destruction of the once bountiful Lost Woods burned to the ground. The smell of smoke, obviously drifting from the demon-like flames of the fire, threatened to choke the juvenile and deprive him of his air._

_The spell on his paws spontaneously broke, catching Trey unaware as he flopped to the ground, coughing and sputtering the smoke out of his lungs. He gathered himself from the ground, instantly turning directly around, wanting to flee as soon as possible. A wave of fiendish flames burst from the ground directly in his nose as he suppressed a startling yelp of shock and fear. He was forced to turn back the way he was facing before, but this time, he perceived numerous figures standing, imperviously, on a raised hill in the centre of the clearing where Trey was._

_He squinted through the growing haze surrounding him, now recognizing the figures. Blaze stood at the crest of the hill, his fur flaring and waving out along with the rhythm of the flames. Hefty muscles bulged from his fur, proving his might. His fire-like eyes glistened and danced, watching the flames with a perverted delight. They seemed to be a part of the raging hell, only in the form of beady eyes of the alpha male. Another character stood like a great boulder next to Blaze, his shape the only thing that could be seen except for a row of gleaming, ivory coloured fangs that smiled deviously through the black shape, giving the character a spooky appearance. The pack of wolfos stood loyally behind Blaze and the mystery wolfos, watching, unharmed as the inferno engulfed the entire forest in a beast-like hunger._

_Tears were welling up even harder now in Trey's eyes as he looked on with horror at all the beloved wolfos throughout his life sit in front of the hill, the mysterious spell also cast upon their paws. Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Sandy; they all sat, horror written across their face as they watched powerlessly as a great wave of sizzling fire moved mockingly slow to them, nipping at their pelts with the beast-like hunger for death. He wanted to scream. He wanted to call out their names and tell them it would be alright. That he would save them, but no words came. His mouth was unusually dry and it seemed as if his throat had just closed up. Instead, he rushed forward towards them, but another wall of fire burst from the ground in front of his face._

"_Blaze!" He screamed, the unshed tears now slowly trickling down his face. He would not stand and watch as his beloved died before his eyes. He had finally found his voice, partly because of fear, partly because of the will-to-protect. "Save them, Blaze! Save them!" His cries rang over the roar of the fire, reaching the ears of the alpha. "You're the only one who can save them! I can't reach them! Please! Please, for the sake of Nayru, save them!" He pleaded, more tears spilling down his ash-covered face._

_The dark-pelted alpha turned his eyes to the keaton as a smirk of devious play came to his lips. "Why?"_

_Trey's eyes were wild with mixed emotions. "'Why'! What sort of question is that? They're your people! They need you! Save them! Don't just watch as they perish!"_

"_No." His venomous, serpent-like grin widened as he and the character next to him began to laugh a dark-hearted laugh that chilled the keaton to the bone, despite being trapped in the raging inferno._

"_Please…!" He pleaded with whatever strength he had left, his voice now suddenly hoarse from screaming over the fire. "Save…Them…!"_

_Tears streamed faster now, their tracks getting mixed in with ash on Trey's face. He coughed and sputtered more, trying fruitlessly to exterminate the awful, oxygen-depriving smoke from his body. He was losing energy and fast, he knew, and he could feel his time to live ticking rapidly. His eyelids drooped, but he forced them open, trying as hard as possible to survive; he needed to rescue his family and friends! It was imperative!_

_However, he was rapidly descending consciousness, and could not grasp onto life for much longer. He gritted his teeth, feeling as the burning sensation from the forest fire began to lick feverishly at his yellow fur, tasting his hate, his determination, his sorrow, his pain, his fear. It lived off of his fear; it feasted upon it like a lioness on a freshly slain carcass! Without the emotions Trey and the other creatures of the woods held within their bodies, the flames of the roaring forest hell could not survive, could not destroy, could not slay countless innocents._

"_Mom! Dad! Twiggy! Sandy!" He called out helplessly between coughs, the beating of his heart slowly starting to wither. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry I couldn't help you! Forgive me!" He panted hard now, coughing, sneezing, and wheezing in a varied order. "I…I love you all!" He wheezed with one of his last breaths._

_The shrieks of terror and genuine fear from his beloved muddled in with the maniacal laughter from Blaze, the mystery wolfos, and the rest of the pack echoed and seeped through his veins like a deadly serpent in the tall grasses. It plugged itself in within the deep catacombs of his thoughts and memories, refusing to exit._

_Suddenly, a jolt of heaven-sent energy zapped through his veins, giving him a renewed energy to stand tall against the thick clouds of smog. Wondrous to the magic upon him, Trey slowly lifted his head, trying to see if anyone was in front of him, supplying the magic energy. A faint ghost of a female keaton stood before him, glowing softly. Her large blue eyes were sorrowful and looked as if they had seen the ends of the earth and back. "Aiden…" She spoke softly, tears trickling down her muzzle. "Don't give up. You can make a difference."_

_Trey's eyes were wild ablaze. "Who are you!" He shrieked, pupils shrinking considerably. The screams of terror. The haunting laughter. The ghost of the keaton who appeared in his dreams. It was too much. He tightened his jaws and roared in a muddle of emotions. "What do you want from me?" He thrashed about in the small space he was provided between the fire and himself. "Leave me be! I do not want to see you here any more! Get out of my dreams!" He gnashed his gleaming teeth, spiked up his fur, and flattened his ears. The keaton looked more abused by his words than ever before as she slowly faded away, as did the energy she supplied him. _

_He took in a gulp of air by mistake, instantly feeling the cold, harsh reality of a torturous death. His body gave in as he fell to the ground; the sound of his body hitting the earth seemed to drum through the roaring inferno. There was nothing more he could do._

_All he could do was wait to die._

_Twiggy's voice seemed not comical, nor lively, nor even perky; it was a shriek of infinite dread, knowing when Death had approached him. "He's doing it!" He shouted, panic slowly, ever so slowly, subsiding. "He's doing it!" He screamed again, as if the spectators should know what he was speaking of._

_What…?_

"_He's doing it!"_

_What is he doing?_

"_He's doing it!"_

_Who is 'he'?_

"_He's really going to do it!"_

_Damn it all, what is he doing?_

"_Come quick! Come see!"_

_Answer me!_

"_Now! Right now!"_

_I can't move! I'm dieing! You're dieing! Everyone's dieing! Don't you understand that?_

"_Trey! Trey! Wake up!"_

_I can't!_

"_Come on! You'll miss it!"_

_I've failed. I've already missed it._

"_Wake up…Just wake up…Trey…"_

"…_Aiden."_

Trey shot up with a convulsion quickly zapping down his spine. It didn't last long, only for a second or two before he finally became aware of his surroundings. All along his flesh was a thick layer of a cold, sticky sweat. He could feel the tear-tracks down his face, and how his heart was beating faster than a hummingbird's wings. Blood rushed in his ears and his stomach had flipped over, resulting in a gurgling, obnoxious pain.

"Trey…?" Came a hesitant, timid voice from behind him.

He jumped high into the air as he did a full three-sixty spin, hair rising slowly on his neck. His chest heaved up and down, his breathing irregular. Trey's pupils were tiny, worried that something had tried to sneak in on him. Twiggy stood at the entrance to the den, a look of startle and worry clear across his facial features. "Trey!" He exclaimed, still softly. It was so rare to see him like this, speaking softly and worriedly, rather than his normal hyper self, that it almost gave the keaton another start of terror. "Bloody hell, you look as if you've seen a demon of some sort! Are you feeling alright? You look…pale. And…Have you been _crying_?"

Trey looked behind him. "You saw it too? The demon?" A blank, concerned expression wiped over Twiggy's face. "Come on; don't tell me you didn't see it! The demon in the form of a wolfos!"

"Maybe…Maybe you should take a rest, bud."

Trey shook his head. "No! No, I can't! Otherwise it will come back!" He trembled visibly and backed away from his friend, all the way to the other side of his den. Tears slowly escaped his eyes again as he whimpered, shaking harder now. "I…I can't let it come back! I don't want everything to die! I don't want to die!"

Twiggy took a step forward. "What on earth are you talking about?"

The keaton's large nougat eyes fixed themselves on the concerned mud-pelted wolfos. "The…The fire…It came and ate everything in its path…You, Sandy, mum, and dad were trapped in a ring of fire. I…couldn't save you. I died from breathing in too much smoke…" He gulped. "I'm sorry," He whispered, feeling ashamed. "I…don't want to see you die, Twigs. No. Watching everyone I loved suffer in front of my very eyes was too much. I can't watch you die."

The brown wolfos sat down in front of his friend, eyes full of compassion. He was never this straightforward with the keaton, for the reasons he knew, which Trey did not. He knew of his past, he knew of his species, of the hate of keatons the pack had, and had become, like the others, apprehensive about being around him. A sudden pang of guilt hit his chest as soon as he heard the keaton speak of how much importance Twiggy was to him. All Trey wanted, needed, was a good friend, and for recent months, he had tried his best to shun him.

He couldn't help but be sorry for his friend, though, in this state Trey was in he didn't look deadly, rather, lost and fearful. "Listen," He started gently, "It was just a dream. Nobody's going to die, okay? I'm not going anywhere and neither is White Foot, Shadow, or Sandy. We'll all be here, understand? I want you to know it was only a dream. It won't come true."

The keaton wheezed for a few moments, trying to regain composure; he hated to feel this vulnerable, especially when he had just experienced it in a dreadful way in his dreams. He had to be strong, he had to be brave. He stopped shaking, taking in deep breaths and slowly exhaling. "Forgive me, Twiggy, of my behaviour." He started, now feeling embarrassed at his actions. "I was a little spooked, that's all. You're right, it's just a dream."

The old, cheerful, Twiggy grin came back as quickly as it had disappeared. "It's alright, Trey. We all have our nightmares, and it's okay to be scared."

Trey had to admit, it was rather silly that he had to be comforted like a scared pup, especially by one of his friends, when he should be able to take care of his emotions on his own. It was just that the whole scenario in his dreams had seemed so _real_, it was almost _unreal_. He could still feel the flicker of the embers against his pelt, the shrieks and the laughs. He dismissed the thoughts from his mind as he asked his friend a question, "Were you saying something earlier?"

Twiggy's deep brown eyes instantly brightened and danced as he sprang to his paws, tail sweeping the ground with a hurried pace. "Oh, yes! I got so worried about you, that I forgot to tell you the news!" Trey cocked his head to one side, waiting for the news. "Skunk's challenging Blaze to alpha powers!"

The hazel eyes of Trey went as wide as saucers. "No way!" He breathed, thinking that this might be some lie.

"No, I'm serious! Come quickly and see! He's doing it! He's really doing it!" And with a hop, skip, and bound, the mud-pelted wolfos exited the den, leaves rustling from behind him.

Trey stood for a moment, feeling dizzy for a second. Were those words relevant in his dream, or were just the words he heard in real life from Twiggy, or both? He shook his head, following the brown wolfos out into the clearing of the hideaway.

A ring of wolfos had already formed, setting the area for an arena. However, Skunk was not yet there, as was Blaze. Autumn and Sandy fast-walked past him, grins of excitement on their faces. "This is so exciting!" Sandy exclaimed softly, tail moving from side to side. "It's been a while since there was a fight for alpha powers, right?"

The keaton didn't listen anymore, instead, raced after his friend, who had now pushed his way through the crowd to the front. When Trey had appeared, some sidestepped away from him, others gave him glares, while some refused to move, so Trey had to manoeuvre around them. Finally, with a bit of effort, he stood next to Twiggy, who looked at the arena with just as much excitement as one would look at a feast of caribou.

The crowd hushed and heads turned as Skunk came sauntering up to the arena, the crowd parting ways for him to pass. Trey heard Autumn sigh, dreamily, as she whispered to her friend, "Ooh, he's _sooo_ dreamy!" She gushed. Trey rolled his eyes, watching as the ring of wolfos closed again. On the other end of the arena, Blaze appeared mysteriously through the crowd, his ember-like eyes glittering with excitement of a challenge. Trey gulped of the image of his leader upon the burning hill, eyes dancing along with the firestorm.

"So," His voice was loud and booming throughout the still silence in the clearing, like the sound after a rain has stopped its descend. "You wish to challenge me for position of alpha male?"

Skunk nodded his head confidently. "Yes sir, Blaze."

"Skunk, first-born of Ash and SnowFrost, I accept your challenge." The crowd burst out into a roar of excitement, watching with eager, beady eyes as the two males took their fighting positions.

The keaton looked with wonder at the two battling wolfos. He had never seen something like this before, and it was certainly interesting to observe how the two fought. Different tactics were used in hunting, and so this type of fight was completely different from one used in a hunt. It was like watching a ballet; every move was graceful, well-thought of, yet still had enough determination for the win. Minutes ticked by speedily, but none seemed to notice as they were having too much fun out of watching the males claw, bite, and wrestle each other with all strength they could muster.

"Look, Skunk's going to try and flip Blaze over now!" Twiggy whispered excitedly into Trey's long ear as they both watched the black and white wolfos rush forward, cuts from his leader gleaming in the light, as he snapped his jaws and attempted to trip the alpha, so that he would be on his back. The wisely leader caught this move though as he countered it with one of his own, ending up tripping the challenger.

Skunk tumbled in a summersault, but skidded to a stop when Blaze caught his tail underneath a massive paw. The black and white wolfos lay on his back, looking up into the triumphant eyes of his leader. "I win." Blaze said with a slightly joking tone. The crowd broke out into more yells, barks, howls, and other various noises as Skunk collected himself from the ground, staggering slightly on his paws.

"It was a pleasure fighting you, sir." Skunk said with respect, bowing his head for a moment.

"Likewise, lad." Skunk's eyes widened a little; why was his leader treating him so informally? Could this mean something…?

"S-sir?"

"Let me explain. Although you did not defeat me in a fight for powers of alpha male, you proved to me the most skill I have seen in quite a number of months. It is hardly I ever do something like this, but, I'm wondering if you would be interested in the position of Hunting-Party Captain."

Some of Skunk's friends in the throng of wolfos gasped and whispered excitedly amongst themselves. The young adult's golden eyes danced with honour and pride. "It would be my honour, Blaze." More yowls erupted from the crowd, and Skunk turned his head to and fro, grinning with pleasure as he witnessed the crowd.

"Come, we shall speak more of this in private; in my den." Blaze turned around, flicked his tail, a motion to follow, and sauntered, muscles rippling, through the crowd. Skunk's face was a glow as he followed Blaze and Blizzard as they headed for the alpha's den.

-oOoOo-

The forest was abuzz with the lively, excited noises erupting from a portion of the Lost Woods. Earlier that day, when Trey was asleep, some curious wolfos had discovered a massive clearing close to the "Super Secret Spring"; one perfect for a large gathering. There were a few old trees, but for the most part, tall grasses covered the ground. Hills and rocks were also included, but one could find them most everywhere in the woods.

Skunk, amongst the others who had conjugated in the newly-discovered clearing, sat proudly on a hill, never getting a moments' peace; all the wolfos he had invited to this reception were constantly coming up to him, gushing about what a great fight he put up earlier that day. He did not win the fight, he kept reminding everyone, but they just countered it with something along the lines of "Yeah, but you're _Hunting-Party Captain_!" His duties would be to lead packs of wolfos through the woods on food expeditions, and to help Blaze and Blizzard to bring down the animal they found for food. It didn't seem like a really important job, but in reality, it carried lots of responsibility and leadership qualities.

Autumn sighed again with that same dreamy tone. "Skunk is soooo fantastic, don't you think so Sandy?"

The sand coloured wolfos nodded her head and smiled, a slight blush creeping to her cheeks. "Mmhmm. Are you…_interested_ in him?"

"Oh, of course!" She gushed, her eyes lost in dream-land. "Who wouldn't be interested in him? Besides his awful stench, he's quite attractive…And strong!"

Sandy kneaded the ground. "Uh…me? Besides, we're too young for him."

Autumn "hmmphed" and flicked her tail back and forth, annoyed with herself. "I know, and it's so stupid! All of the _hot_ guys aren't our age!"

The sand-pelted wolfos couldn't help but suppress a small chuckle at how dramatic her friend was being. "Now that's not true…I mean, I don't _look_ or anything, but there are some cute ones, right?"

Blaze's daughter rolled her eyes. "_Who_? Beetle-for-brains and his partner in crime, _three-tail _the wonder _keaton_?" Sandy frowned and turned her head, trying to find the two said friends.

Trey lay in the grass near some dainty yellow butterflies, Twiggy right next to him. The sky above their heads was slowly becoming a brilliant watercolour painting, full of pumpkin oranges, hellish reds, and bright yellows. The keaton tore his eyes off of the marvellous sight when he heard Twiggy exclaim, "Look, they're going to start a game of push and shove!" He sprang to his paws, looking at his friend with excited chocolate pupils. "I'm going to join! Wanna come?"

Trey cocked his head to one side, thinking. "Sure, sounds fun."

Push and shove was an extremely popular game among the juveniles and the young adults in the pack; it was a safe, non-deadly wrestling game they loved to participate in. Two competitors would step forward and challenge one and another, wrestling and fighting each other for no gain, for no loss. Although, the taste of defeat and powerlessness was enough of a loss for the loser. The game was basically a test of strength and endurance, and some took it too seriously with matters of dominance thrown into the game.

The two friends bounded off towards the semicircle that had slowly begun to form, Skunk at the very head of it. "The rules are simple," His voice boomed triumphantly. "No deadly wounds, no outnumbered matches, no cheating, and no crying you big cry-babies." He scoffed, chuckling. Others joined in with this, watching from the corners of their eyes as Trey and Twiggy joined the semicircle. "The first one to get pinned on the ground for at least four seconds loses. Got it?" A wave of nods and approving sounds were the responses the young adult received. "Alright, who wants to go first?"

The pale grey wolfos from a week ago stepped up, his silver fur gleaming and shinning in the last rays of the day. "I'll do it."

Skunk nodded his head towards his friend. "Fish has volunteered to be the first to fight."

Fish puffed out his chest, grinning rather pompously. "Yeah! Who dares challenge me, the great Fish, to a battle of strength? It's alright, I understand if most of you are wetting yourselves with fear! No one can beat me, I'm the best—"

"_I_ accept your challenge!" A familiar voice interrupted his boastings.

The crowd parted slightly, and all eyes were fixed on the owner of the voice. Trey stood in the midst of the parted area where he stood, his face glowing with determination. Instantly, Skunk, Fish, and others broke out into fits of uncontrollable laughter. "_You_?" Fish wheezed out, finishing his laughs. "You _really_ think you can defeat me?"

Trey took a confident step forward into the arena, fur puffed out slightly. "Don't judge me because I'm younger than you; I can be just as powerful as the next wolfos!"

Fish strode around Trey, never drawing his eyes away from the keaton. His hunches were up, and he was grinned sadistically as he stalked his enemy, trying his best to intimidate the young keaton. "Oi, look, the little fellow's bluffing!" He shouted with a sneer, "He's too afraid of me to admit his fear!" The crowd of gruff wolfos chuckled, sneers also upon their faces. "Let me tell you something, pup," He hissed, still continuing his threatening walk around the keaton. "…You ain't no wolfos."

-oO **T.B.C **Oo-

**Dairokkan:** -sly grin-

**Speedfox:**Glad ya like it!

**Jaderill:** Thank you for your kind words! Yes, it was a glitch, and it happens to me too. Just go back to the glitched chapter a few days or so after you've experienced the glitch and it should be fine. You were almost at the end, too. Trey is adorable, I have to agree! Who wouldn't love a energetic ball of yellow fuzz? –snuggles Trey-

**Ri2:** -pokes ending to chapter- Dum dum dummm…!


	6. To Look Past the Shell

**Summary:** When a wolfos mother adopts a keaton pup, controversy arises in the pack. What happens when the keaton later learns of his hidden past? And what happens when he stumbles upon a Kokiri child in the forest? How will all of this affect his future?  
**Rating:** K plus, but this might change in future time.  
**Flames? **No flames, please, although a bit of constructive criticism is nice. But, by all means, am I not refusing the offer of a friendly review! Don't be shy in reviewing; I won't bite!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.  
I do, however, own all the identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera.

**Author's Notes:** Link is a little boy with no friends, no parents, and no male to look up to as a father figure (save for a Shakespeare obsessed tree, who doesn't really help much in his life.); is he not allowed to cry?

-oOoOo-

**Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing  
****-  
****Chapter Six: To Look Past the Shell**

-oOoOo-

The sound of silence that followed this statement was unmistakably deafening. Trey shifted his weight on his paws, suddenly very self-conscious. All eyes bore into his body, but he did not turn his head to read their expressions; all that mattered was the threat of Fish. The keaton remained silent, jaw clenched tightly and claws raking the ground dangerously. "Oh, sod off! Your meaningless taunts are nothing to me." He finally spat, eyes narrowing as his ears flattened snugly against his skull.

Fish stopped stalking the keaton and stood firm in front of him instead. "Taunts? Who said anything about taunts?" He smirked, white fangs gleaming in the dulling light of the day.

Trey opened his mouth to speak, but his throat had gotten in a knot, preventing him from speaking. What was this joker getting to exactly?

"You, dear Trey," Fish's smirk widened as his eyes deviously glowed with a satisfaction of making someone suffer. He pushed his nose close to Trey's, the smirk still on his lips. "…Are a _keaton_."

The tension in the air tightened, and Trey could feel the apprehension blow through his thick pelt, giving him shivers down his spine. He suddenly became light-headed, dizzy, as a hot sensation crawled up his neck. His mouth became drier than the desert in the west, but he forced himself to speak. "You lie!" He snapped his jaws at Fish's nose, who recalled back from the movement. "I am a wolfos, and I always have been!" He swung his head slowly side to side, looking at the expressions of the silent wolfos. They were very solemn, faces almost unreadable, and some even shifted uneasily under his gaze. "Right?" He spun around, looking at Twiggy with almost pleading eyes. "Twigs," He started softly, swallowing the knot in his throat. "T-tell 'em Twigs; tell them I'm a wolfos."

A frown, a very rare sight for Twiggy, was slapped clear across his face. His tail and ears had drooped, and instead of saying something to his friend, whether it be a piece of witty humour or words of encouragement, downcast his eyes, away from the keaton.

The forest began to spin, and Trey began started to swagger on his paws uneasily. "Yeah, you get it? You're a _keaton;_ you were _never_ one of _us_ from the moment you joined the pack!" Fish's voice jeered over his woozy state. "You don't _belong with us!_" Trey shook his head, ridding the dizziness for a moment.

He spun around; fur flaring up and lip drawn back as far as it would go, showing his razor sharp teeth. "Shut the hell up!" He then swore colourfully, lunging at Fish with unknown ferocity.

Fish's eyes widened as he sidestepped just in time. He didn't have much time to think as Trey came flying at him again, this time finding his target. His claws raked Fish's beautiful silver coat with a surprising easiness, like a knife cutting into butter, creating scratches all along his flesh, some bleeding faster than others. Fish pushed him off with his hind legs, snarling and spitting at the attacker now.

Trey didn't wait another second; he was in a confused, anger-driven state and hardly anything could stop him. He bowled Fish over with all his weight, wrestling the older wolfos on the ground, growling, yipping, and spitting all the while. He sunk his teeth into his foreleg, making the young adult scream in agony. "Augh, get him off of me!" Fish yelled, scratching Trey back. "He's a monster!"

The keaton could taste the bitter tang of Fish's blood in his mouth, but he cared not. He lunged again, now hanging onto the silver wolfos' back, flipping him over. His claws dragged themselves across his foe's sides, creating a small stream of sticky crimson blood. Fish countered his attacks with some of his own, but the keaton was smaller than the almost fully-grown wolfos, so he ducked easily at some swipes. Finally, Fish's massive paw came in contact with Trey's face, leaving a not-too-deep scratch on the cheek. The keaton yowled and recoiled, about to lunge once more.

The spectators said nothing, only watching with silent horror at the battle. They could not find the energy or the words to stop the fight, and all they could do was to watch as droplets of blood from both participants splattered on the grass.

"What is the _meaning _of _this_?" A way too familiar deep voice boomed throughout the clearing, frightening away crows in the trees. Fish and Trey instantly stopped fighting, panting and groaning from their wounds and the energy they had used. Blaze stood at the entrance to the clearing, Shadow beside him. The alpha male's eyes were narrowed to tight slits and his ears were flat against his head. "We can't even leave you _children_ alone for a couple of hours without something going _wrong_!"

"I thought we told you no fighting!" Shadow scolded, taking a step forward. "…Who started this?"

"It was Trey, sir." Skunk said immediately, resulting in a death-bringing glare from the keaton. "He attacked Fish first, and despite how the rules of push and shove said 'no deathly wounds', he did so anyway."

"Is Skunk speaking the truth?" Blaze yowled again, causing terror at his power to run through everyone's veins. They all nodded, except for Twiggy and Sandy, who kept their eyes downcast. "Autumn! Take Fish home, _now_." He nodded curtly to his daughter, who dared not to question her father's authority. "His wounds will need to be treated immediately. Skunk, follow me back to my den; we have much to discuss with Blizzard." The black and white wolfos nodded, silently following his leader's footsteps out of the clearing. "And Shadow," Blaze called out once more before leaving. "I trust you will find a suitable punishment for your…_pup_?"

The dark grey wolfos nodded. "I will, sir." He followed the alpha's moves with his eyes, but turned them to his adopted son when Blaze was out of sight. "The rest of you may stay here or may go home." He declared unemotionally, eyes still fixed on the keaton. "As for you, Trey, I want to speak with you. In _private_." Some of the wolfos juveniles "oohed" in immature simultaneous voices, watching as the aggressive keaton shot glares at them before approaching his father.

"Dad, I can explain—" He started, but was cut off by Shadow.

"Then explain on the way home." He spun around curtly, Trey sulking at his heels.

Once they were out of earshot from the clearing, the skies had finally turned dark and stars had come out. Neither one of the two males had said a word since the scene in the clearing, Trey too embarrassed with actions and Shadow too disappointed with his son.

He stopped, suddenly, catching Trey unawares. He looked up at his father, his large nougat eyes filled with guilt. Shadow sighed exasperatedly as he sat down silently on the grass. "I'm _very_ disappointed in you, Trey." He started emphasising each word as he stared off into the thick clumps of Lost Woods foliage.

The keaton bowed his head low, ears drooping. He had mentally recoiled when he heard his father say that wretched word, "disappointed"; for all children, it was an unpleasant word to hear from your parents at any time.

"Why on earth would you attack Fish? He could've been even more injured if Blaze and I hadn't arrived in time…It isn't like you. What's up?"

Trey sighed as well, marvelling briefly at how the night air was so cool and crisp against his pelt, a definite change from the blazing summer heat in the afternoons. "…He said some pretty cruel things." He finally said, lying down on his stomach, the long green grasses tickling his nose as he went down.

Shadow frowned. "So you attacked someone else because they were being _mean_ to you? Trey…We've gone over this; you have to ignore the others when they tease you. They pick you as a target because your fur colour is different."

Trey shook his head, licking absently on a small cut on his forepaw. "I know…I just couldn't let this one go that easily."

The dark grey wolfos' ears perked at this as he turned his head slowly to face his adopted son, green eyes trying to bore into his mind. "What did they say?"

The juvenile paused for a moment, recollecting the scene. "He said I wasn't a wolfos...I was…a keaton." Shadow sucked air in sharply, heart pounding in his chest. "Of course, it isn't true." Trey nervously laughed. "…Right?" Again that deafening sound of silence hung in the air, mocking the two males' fears; both equally different than the others'. Shadow tensed as he watched his son rose slowly from his position, hazel eyes now looking very serious.

In that very moment, Trey suddenly looked very mature, and not the energetic young pup that Shadow once knew. It seemed like just yesterday when he came home from guard duty, only to find the ragged-looking keaton pup nestled snugly against his mate's thick white pelt.

_How time has gone by…_ His mind suddenly thought, heart still pounding louder than the mighty waterfall's crash against the rocks.

They stayed in silence for moments later, the hammering of their hearts the only sound drumming through the night time atmosphere. Emerald eyes locked on with hazel, neither males needing to say a word. It was as if they knew what each other was thinking. "…So," Trey said, snapping the silence as if it were a brittle twig. "It's true."

Shadow slowly nodded, never ripping his eyes off of Trey. "I'm…I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Trey." His ears drooped a little bit, showing signs of remorse.

The keaton hesitated before speaking, trying to grasp the right words to say; there was too much information to process at the same time, all built up from his entire puphood. "Tell me the truth." He whispered, his eyes darting away from Shadow, a little anxious about looking the wolfos in the eyes.

"Pardon…?"

"I want to know the truth." He growled lightly, raising his voice a couple notches. "I need to know about my past."

The dark grey wolfos nodded again, kneading the grass between his forepaws. "It is only fair you know…

Several months ago, when you arrived in the pack, White Foot took our first litter of pups on their first training expedition. She took them to the ranch, wanting to practice their hunting skills on cuccos, but it was a mistake. The farmer caught the pups and…slaughtered them.

After returning and informing everyone, including myself, of the news, she went off into the woods to clear her head. Only, when she returned to the hideaway, she carried a small yellow pup in her mouth. You." He looked up at Trey. "She told me later of the story…Of how she found you. Some keatons, probably from your old pack, were bullying you, driving you out of the forest. White Foot stepped up and stopped them, taking you as her own…That is how you became part of our pack."

Trey's eyebrows furrowed in thought, soaking up all facts with meticulous accuracy, making sure he understood everything correctly. He rose to his paws and turned around, heading into the forest without a word.

Shadow, a little startled at the action, turned his head around and asked, "Where are you going?"

The keaton stopped in his tracks, tails drooping. He didn't turn to face his adopted father, rather, stared out into the thick cluster of trees ahead of him. "I need to think about everything. Don't be worried if I don't come back soon."

He was about to take a step forward into the woods, but stopped, back still turned to Shadow. "All this time…" He trailed off, feeling slightly dizzy as all facts and events collided into his mind in one colossal meteor of mixed emotions. "…I've been a wolfos in sheep's clothing."

-oOoOo-

Faeries of varied pinks, blues, yellows, and even some greens danced with pure hearts and light-hearted wings around the large, placid spring, giggling innocently as they did so. Gossips of the forest, they were often called, and it almost seemed like a perfectly fitting title; the way they conversed with each other was in their own language that only followers of the Great Faerie could understand, and so, they could talk and talk without anyone knowing what in Nayru's name they were discussing.

Sparkles and dust trailed behind them, like a loyal pet, and as they danced merrily round the spring, it sprinkled daintily on the calm surface of the still-moving water, making small reflections of colour and majesty, illuminating the clearing. According to some superstitions that the forest folk held, it was good luck for faeries to dance around a body of water, for it meant that the liquid had not become contaminated with foul insects and deadly diseases, and that the water had its blessings of the Great Faerie herself.

Trey lay in the silk-like grasses, head resting on his forepaws lazily. His muzzle was raised above the surface of the spring, allowing him to look freely at his reflection whenever he desired. He darted his brown eyes away from the rippling, coloured surface of the spring, and forced himself to admire the beauty of the faerie dance.

Most other times when he had visited this place, "The Super Secret Spring", he would have found joy and happiness out of the faeries' enlightening steps, but he had not found any satisfaction out of this trip at all. He had come here hours ago, after his discussion with his father, to meditate on everything that he had learned.

So…He was a keaton. The bottom line was simple, yet so complex. It meant he was an outsider, like Fish had said, and that he wasn't _part_ of the community bond that the wolfos shared with each other. It was clearly understandable now why so many of the pack members had shied away from him over the years, and it was simply not because of his coat colour; it was his ethnicity. He supposed it might feel the same if a wolfos joined a keaton tribe; it would be extremely difficult for pack members to comprehend this new change in their way of life. Ever since he was a tiny pup, he could remember everyone talk about keatons with hate and anger, as if the very word were poison in their mouths. Why? He wondered silently. Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn't everyone just get along, and why did the hate of keatons and wolfos have to even exsist?

_Why…_Such a question puzzles the ingenious minds of beings everywhere, it's simple structure only a superficial look on how baffling the word could be. The keaton sighed again, closing his eyes to reflect even further.

When the teasings from his peers had started, he was not but a couple weeks in the pack, he supposed. They had said cruel things about the way he acted, by the way he had done things differently than the others, and by his appearance. _Come to think of it,_ He recalled, his voice echoing in the depths of his mind, _They never said anything about my tails…It was always of my ears and my fur colour._ Maybe that's why he had not realized he was a keaton sooner, for everyone knew keatons had the tri-tail, a dead-giveaway. White Foot had always told him, time and time again whenever he would run up to her, tears in his eyes from the jokes from his peers, that they just teased him because he _looked_ different, nothing else. She had, well, lied when she also told him after an inquiry about his fur that it was from a very ancient relative, whom carried the distinct trait of yellow fur and long ears. He one day allowed himself to discover important secrets about an attack the keatons planned to pull off, and warning his wolfos pack soon afterwards of the danger. He was considered a hero.

Lies. Why hadn't his parents told him the truth? Why did this have to be so secretive? Were they apprehensive? Were they frightened? Were they…ashamed?

He clutched his head with his forepaws, groaning in annoyance as his thoughts continued to badger him relentlessly. A sudden itch on his back caught his attention as he swiftly, and instinctively, rolled on the grass, ridding himself of the pest who had settled into his fur. He panted for a moment, ceasing the rolling as he felt the itch disappear like magic. Through the small openings the overhanging trees made, he could tell that night had passed, and it was light out. How far into the day, he knew not, but he was still incredulous to the fact that the night had passed so silently and swiftly, like an owl on silent wings.

He rolled back into his rightful position, glimpsing into the cool waters of the spring at his own reflection. He rose onto his paws with narrowed eyes, and with a discouraged grunt, he spat forcefully at his reflection, disturbing the waters and startling the faeries. They glided over to him, sensing something was amiss in his soul, that he was fighting a something inside of him, for faeries are very sensitive to the emotions and needs of all creatures both big and small.

"Shoo, shoo, the lot of you!" Trey snapped lightly, swinging his head to rid the faeries of his presence. "I don't _need_ your pity!" The faeries stopped instantly, whimpering in sorrow and remorse; they had not wanted to upset the keaton, only to make him feel better. The happy, luminescent glow that hovered around them faded unhappily, showing their apologetic aura to the young keaton. "Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that," He quickly blubbered on, seeing this downhearted appearance. "It was very thoughtful of you to think of me, really, but…I'm just a little confused, and I'd like to solve my problems on my own, alright?" He smiled faintly, trying to encourage the faeries again.

The glow brightened up almost immediately, and with happy chirp-like squeals, the gossips of the forest fluttered back to their place around the spring, dancing gaily once more.

His faint smile subsided faster than a speeding rabbit as he sighed and turned tail, exiting the Spring. He blinked and squinted a few moments, adjusting to the new light that poured in from the cloudless sky. Once adjusted, he looked properly at the skies, deciding mentally with himself on what time of day it was. _Nearly afternoon._ He thought, wondrous. Had it really been that long since he had fled from the discussion with his father? It was hard to believe, really, that he had spent the whole evening meditating and not sleeping. It didn't bother him though; he wasn't tired, just hungry.

Speaking of hungry…

His stomach spoke its own words, ones clearly audible and understandable; the language of hunger. It growled and rumbled fiercely, as if saying "Feed me!" Trey swallowed, but it was uncomfortable due to dryness. He'd have to look out for some sort of pond on his hunt, for this dryness was most displeasing.

With a frustrated groan, he watched as the tenth squirrel he stumbled upon in the past hour and a half scrambled up a tree, scared half to death of the frightening threat that had chased him around the clearing. The keaton issued a grumble of displeasure as he plopped down, back against the tree trunk, tiredly. He was growing tired of always having to chase a small animal around in circles, then ending up nowhere in the end; stomach empty and prey gone. His stomach roared again, and shot small jolts of pain from not eating enough through his abdomen. He _had_ to find _something_ to eat soon.

He closed his eyes and breathed in and out deeply, readying himself for another search for prey. And as if sent by the goddesses themselves, a rabbit sat before him a distance away when he opened his eyes. He smirked, pleased, as he silently rose to his paws and positioned himself in a hunting crouch. The wind was on his side today, luckily, and the rabbit could not smell his scent that easily. He stopped, waited, then lunged after the rabbit, who sprinted away from him before he even had the chance to snap his jaws at the prey.

"Oh no you don't!" He barked, his smirk growing, partly because of the rush of adrenaline, partly because of annoyance. "I've waited too long to eat breakfast! You're not getting away that easily!" And with that, the race was on.

He tore through the bushes in an almost barbaric manner; the only thing relevant to him at the moment was the speeding bundle of meat in front of him. It was an older rabbit, and so its pace was slower than that of the rabbit he had chased a week ago for training. Nevertheless, it sped through the undergrowth of the Lost Woods, panicked because of the threat on his tail. Trey's eyebrows furrowed in determination as he pushed his strength to the limit, all energy focused on running and running alone. This helped and soon, he was directly behind the prey. He prepared himself, then, with a mighty lunge, he landed, paw-out, on the rabbit's rump, claws hooked into the flesh. It squirmed and writhed underneath his grasp, eyes wild with terror. The keaton swiftly ended the small creature's life, and not wasting a second, devoured the body hungrily.

He swiped a pink tongue over his muzzle, satisfied to the brim on his catch, and even more satisfied that his stomach had ceased its rather annoying reminders of how hungry he was. The meat definitely hit a spot, and even though he still felt slightly uncomfortable with the fact he was carnivorous, he felt better. It dawned on him; something that his father once said…Keatons didn't eat meat! Something clicked inside his mind, and as if all questions had been suddenly lifted from his shoulders, he realized that the reason he felt odd when he had a meal, was the fact that he was supposed to eat only vegetation of the forest, and that his keaton instincts were nagging at him like an old shrew. Although, he had grown accustomed to the meat wolfos ate, and it would be hard to switch. Was it _so_ bad if he ate meat once in a while…?

He paused suddenly for a moment, ears erect and straining as a sound of something sorrowful became tangled in his hearing. His eyes remained still, staring into the fabrics of time itself as he listened with all his skill to what the noise was, and more importantly, where it was coming from. It was distinctly familiar to the cries of sadness, but it didn't sound like any animal's crying that he had ever heard before. It didn't seem like a threat to the juvenile, so he proceeded towards the melancholy cries.

Hesitant, and now pretty sure he was in the right spot for the crying became louder, he poked his face through the bushes, just so much that one could only see his eyes and front muzzle. He saw a small body, clothed in a forest-coloured fabric, hunched over sadly, his back turned to the curious keaton. Trey cocked his head to one side, trying to make heads or tails of what this being was. His smell was very peculiar, one that he didn't quite recognize, as was his appearance; what sort of animal _was_ this?

He turned his attention to the creature, whose shoulders shook as he wept and cried in the grasses. Why was he so sad? "It's not fair!" He heard the creature shout, woe tainted his tone. His voice made Trey jump in startle; he was not supposed to be able to understand words that were not spoken by wolfos and keatons! How in Din's name did he understand _this_? "It's just not fair!" He wailed again, more cries emitting from the creature.

Curiosity knocked harder on Trey's door as he compelled himself to go forward towards the strange being; he wanted to know what it was and what it was doing in the forest. With a cautious step, he proceeded forward; the front-half of his body now could clearly be seen from the bushes. The creature's scent grew steadily stronger even with that one step forward and Trey racked his brain, trying to think of where he had smelt the scent before.

"W-why do the others pick on me?" The being sobbed harder, resting his head on his brought up knees. "All I want is some friends, I just…I want a friend…" His breathing irregular, he hiccupped slightly through crocodile tears. "Why doesn't anyone pay attention to me? Why do _I_ have to be the 'Boy without a fairy'? It's not fair!" And in his anger, he clawed at the grass, ripping it up from its roots, startling Trey for a moment, who witnessed this small destruction. The creature sobbed harder than ever before as he grasped at flowers around him, one by one pulling them from the ground or ripping them to shreds. He wailed, shoulders shaking aggressively, obviously troubled by something. Through his destruction of the flowers, his hand came across a rose, which he grabbed roughly with his left hand.

Thorns went into his palm and he cried out in agony and in even deeper sorrow as he recoiled his hand, quickly quieting his sobbing down to a small cry as he inspected his injured hand through tear-stained eyes. A small trickle of blood was caressing its way leisurely down his hand as he removed the thorns. The creature whimpered, shoulders still shaking slightly. "It's not fair!" He again sobbed, still clutching his hand, while repeating the words over and over and over.

Trey took another couple steps forward when a wave of remembrance hit him; the smell! The smell was…

He gasped. It couldn't be!

The exact same scent was heavy around the huge log-tunnel he nearly went through a week ago, the exact one that his mother said not to go into…The one that led into the Village. Was this strange being a…Hylian cub? A small sense of paranoia and caution washed over him as he stood on the spot, looking at the sobbing cub with questioning eyes. Common sense told him to run now, to run as fast as his legs would carry him through the forest, away from this foul being. But a more instinctive side argued, saying that it would be alright if he stayed and watched the Hylian. Especially seeing the tiny cub in such a state as this, how could he be the wretched killers his adopted mother had always spoke of? He was weak, vulnerable, young, and obviously upset…Surely he wouldn't be a bloodthirsty monster!

He took a tentative step forward, eyes never leaving the back of the cub, as if he were waiting for him to suddenly leap out and attack him. One could never be too sure in such situations. Although, as he proceeded straight onwards, he failed to notice a stray twig on the ground, and with an echoing _crack!_, he stopped, in taking air sharply.

The cub spun around abruptly at the noise, screaming, "Get away from me Mido! Go and make fun at somebody else—" He stopped in mid-sentence, looking at the cautious keaton with watery sapphire eyes.

The two stayed like that for some time, looking at each other hesitantly, not knowing what the other was going to do. Both had never seen such a creature before, and curiosity played at their minds like a harp. The keaton stood stock still in the grass, muscles tensed and ready for action, with paws planted firmly into the ground, trying his best to show the "killer" that he wasn't afraid, that he would be willing to fight. The cub also stayed still, except for breathing and a few stray sniffles left over from his cries.

"Golly," He breathed, never taking his eyes off of the magnificent specimen in front of him. He turned slowly around, Trey taking a cautious step back, shivering slightly at the thought of being slaughtered like his adopted family's young. Such horror stories of massacres of wolfos and other creatures of the forest were fairly common in the pack, but it was mostly the older ones who would pick on the littler children, just to frighten them for a good laugh or two. The Hylian slowly crawled towards the keaton, wonder still evident in his eyes. A few tear tracks were visible down his cheeks, and a few stray tears had escaped even as this was going on.

The keaton, thinking that this was some sort of movement to signal a fight, darted back in nothing but a golden blur into the bushes which he had just emerged from. The leaves on the shrubbery rustled as he ran through them, and the Hylian cub stared blankly where he had disappeared to, bottom lip quivering again as he plopped himself roughly on his rump. "…Even animals don't want to be around me!" He cried again, the tiny droplets of salty water escaping again from his large, shinning blue eyes. He brought his attention back to his bloodied left hand, whimpering and crying more at the sight, and pain, of it.

Trey did not sprint further into the woods after his escape from the encounter with the cub, rather, he stayed just behind the bushes, poking his nose through the openings of the leaves, wanting to see what the reaction of this creature was going to be. The sight of the crimson substance lingering down his hand caught his attention, and feeling a pang of pity, hesitantly stepped out again, this time feeling braver for his actions. He gulped as his heart beat faster and faster by the minute, taking tiny steps towards the cub, who whimpered while locking his sky-blue pupils into his hazel ones.

Seeing that the keaton was apprehensive to be in his presence, the Hylian cub swallowed his sorrow, piping up in a mousey voice, "I-It's alright, boy, I-I won't hurt you," He just silently hoped that the animal could understand him; he didn't want it to run away again. "I promise; I'd never hurt an animal. I…I like animals." Trey understood his words as clear as day, and faintly smiled in his mind, thinking over the possibility that this "monster" was actually speaking the truth to him.

His nougat eyes darted away from the watery blue ones of the Hylian cub, and fixed themselves on the cub's palm-up left hand, which had now stopped bleeding, although there was the mess of a thin layer of blood that had made its home in a circle-like pattern on his palm, around the areas where the Hylian had gotten punctured with the sharp thorns of the rose. Trey raised a forepaw onto the cub's left wrist, applying a little pressure, telling the boy that he wanted him to bring down his hand. Slightly puzzled, the sad Hylian cub obediently did so, and watched with fascination as Trey bent his head towards his outstretched hand.

With a gentle tenderness and caution, the keaton begun to lick slowly at the cub's hand, cleaning off the crimson substance, while also cleaning the wound in a sort of an animal-like fashion. He did so for a few moments, the Hylian cub still watching with incredulous interest at this manner that a complete animal stranger was showing him. The keaton stopped when the blood had been cleaned off completely, and sat directly in front of the Village-folk, still staring at him, smiling faintly. Their heads were the same height when sitting down, and so they had a clear, direct view of each other's faces.

Still in awe, the blond-haired cub looked briefly down at his newly cleaned hand, then back at the marvellous creature in front of him, grinning happily as well. "Thank you." He said after a while, rubbing away his tears and tear-tracks from his face absently. "That was very kind of you." He tentatively outstretched his right hand, inching it closer to the top of the keaton's head. Trey, seeing no threat from his move, allowed the cub to do what he wanted, which was nothing for than a simple petting and scratching on his scalp.

The blond cub grinned wider, a renewed happiness sparkling in his previously saddened eyes. "You're a good doggie!" He said innocently, still patting the keaton on the top of his head. "I like you! You're the first person, besides Saria, that cared about me in a long time!"

Trey smiled, glad that he had made someone feel better, although this was supposedly another enemy of the forest animals. He licked the cub's right hand quickly, answering the Hylian in his own special way. The boy giggled at this as he withdrew his hand from the animal and brought his knees up to his chest, where he folded his arms on top of them. "Yeah, I like you." He said again, still staring with fascination at the keaton. "I ran away from the Kokiri Village, that's where I live, because Mido rallied up all the Kokiri to start teasing me again." He frowned, continuing his story; he needed to get it off his chest. "I hate it when Mido does that. He thinks he's the boss of us all, but he's dumb! I don't have a fairy, see, and that's why everyone picks on me…Because I'm _different_ than the others."

This statement, as innocent as it was worded, struck a definite chord in the keaton; the little "Kokiri's" problems were very similar to his own. Although they had just met, the keaton felt compelled to protect the vulnerable child from sorrow and woe, and to keep his spirits high. He knew what it was like to feel alienated from a large group and the pain and experience was so fresh, that he almost knew how to handle the situation with strangers. The child's eyes cast downwards, evidently saddened by the truth of his own words. Trey smiled to himself as he thought of a plan that might cheer the kid up.

He grabbed the long, flowing green cap on top of the boy's head and jerked it off in one smooth move. The boy, startled by this, watched with amusement as the keaton danced around in front of him, swinging the hat around from his mouth as if it were a freshly caught fish from the river. The Kokiri giggled at this sight, but it soon ascended into laughs at the antic, observing as the keaton came back to him, hat in his mouth and tails swinging back and forth. The boy pulled Trey close to him, hugging his neck. "You're a funny doggie; I like you all the more!" They stayed like that for a couple more moments, enjoying the friendly body heat they shared through the hug. The blond grinned, letting go of Trey. "My name's Link! Let's be friends!"

-oO **T.B.C **Oo-

**Dairokkan:** I think he is too influenced by his friend, Skunk. Stupid Fish.

**Ri2:** Poor Trey, no?

**Jaderill:** Thank you! I figured the creatures of the forest would name each other after things that they knew of, such as fish and skunks and rocks, rather than giving them names that would be more commonly seen in our human lives. Besides, how would they know of the names such as "Simon" or "Jude" or perhaps "Alfred" even? Hehehe…That would be quite humorous, actually. x3

**Harrypotterfan:** No, it's alright, really. I understand if you "do not have a large vocabulary" as you said, and it's just great enough that you take the time to submit a review to my story. :)


	7. Friends are Like Flowers

**Summary:** When a wolfos mother adopts a keaton pup, controversy arises in the pack. What happens when the keaton later learns of his hidden past? And what happens when he stumbles upon a Kokiri child in the forest? How will all of this affect his future?  
**Rating:** K plus, but this might change in future time. (Possibly in the next chapter or two, for mild swearing)  
**Flames? **No flames, please, although a bit of constructive criticism is nice. But, by all means, am I not refusing the offer of a friendly review! Don't be shy in reviewing; I won't bite!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.  
I do, however, own all the identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera.

**Author's Notes:** Oh noes! Another delayed chapter! I'm sorry again, faithful readers…  
Aw, Trey has a little crush!...But you'll read about that soon enough. (And, I'll probably make a short story about it around Valentine's Day, too…)

-oOoOo-

**Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing  
****-  
****Chapter Seven: Friends are Like Flowers**

-oOoOo-

Trey crouched silently in the bushes, not daring to move an inch, and barely breathed, trying to keep as silent as the dead. He needed to stay hidden underneath the foliage, lest that he was discovered. Being discovered, well, would be something quite humiliating to say at the least. If they discovered him and his secret hiding place, not only would he be unveiled for all to see, but also would be a loss on his part, meaning that they won at this game of stealth.

He pressed his body closer to the ground, hardly breathing as he watched through small gaps through the leaves at the creature that was searching for him. His footsteps were growing steadily louder, and he could feel the energetic, excited vibrations rumbling through the earth from his hunter. The hunter stopped in front of Trey's hiding spot, seemingly taking a thoughtful pause of his surroundings. The keaton held his breath involuntarily, a half smirk, half smile spreading on his lips; they could never discover him, for his spot was too good to be noticed.

He released the breath he held slowly, silently, as his hazel eyes followed the movement of the creature, as the hunter's footsteps descended away in the distance. Ha, the keaton was still as crafty as ever. He closed his eyes, taking silent deep breaths slowly in and out, relishing in the refreshing blackness that surrounding him. He nearly fell asleep in this joyful state if it hadn't been for the sudden sound and smells that he detected.

Before he even had a chance to think about the scent and sound, a couple of pounding footstep was directly behind him, followed immediately by an enthusiastic, "Found ya!"

The keaton jumped, springing to his paws from the spontaneous sound. He let his muscles relax, though, when he saw that it was none other than his new friend, Link, in front of him. He barked happily, grinning at the Kokiri.

Link was a slightly taller, by a half-a-head's height, than the keaton when standing, so he craned his head forward accordingly, grinning back at his animal friend. "Okay boy, now it's your turn to be it! I'll hide, but you have to close your eyes!"

Trey nodded, doing so, listening with skilled ears as the child's footsteps descended away in the forest. "Okay, ready!" A distance voice called. The juvenile opened his eyes, and almost instructively, lowered his nose to the ground, sniffing at the many scents of the forest. The Kokiri's remarkably unique scent could unmistakably be picked out among the commoner smells such as grass, dirt, and plants. He followed the trail of smell obediently, almost unconsciously, through the portion of the forest the two were playing in.

He stopped abruptly in front of a large log, grinned, and pressed his forepaws on to it. Sure enough, the little blond Kokiri was squatting behind it, just as the keaton's senses told him. Link rose from the ground, brushing the dirt from his knees. "Aww, no fair!" He mock-whined, "Your nose is stronger than mine!"

Trey chuckled as he barked again, taking a giant leap over the log, landing perfectly in front of his Kokiri friend. The blonde grinned jovially as he stretched out a friendly hand, scratching his new friend on the top of his head. The keaton's eyelids drooped and he suddenly felt a great pleasure rise in him as Link did this. The gentle scratching on his scalp seemed to muddle his entire mind, soul, and body, making him completely vulnerable to this bliss. He was melting like soft butter under this, but snapped out of his haze when Link slowly drew his hand away.

Almost instantly the keaton wished that Link would continue with the intoxicating scratching spell, but shook off the thought as he grinned lopsidedly at the blonde. A moment of pleasant silence passed between the two recently united acquaintances, in which was filled with just the tranquil sounds of the forest. Trey grinned mischievously as he watched Link take a seat in front of him, back against the log. The long green hat the Kokiri wore fluttered invitingly in the slight breeze, beckoning the keaton in a supernatural sort of way.

In a flash of golden fur, Trey again lunged at Link's hat, swiping it off in one effortless motion. Link blinked his large blue eyes twice before realizing what had just happened. "Hey!" He exclaimed, humouring the keaton's silly actions. "Why do you like my hat so much, huh? Give it back!" He swiped out his hand, attempting to grab the hat back, but Trey jerked his head back, grinning rascally. He leapt to his paws and sprinted through the woods, green hat flapping around in his mouth. At once, Link sped after him, laughing with play at the game.

Careful to avoid any territory that might belong to the wolfos, Trey ran through the bushes and ducked under low-hanging branches, Link dashing after him, determination written across his face. A root, that emerged from beneath the ground to above, appeared in front of the keaton's path, and before he could register its presence, he had already tripped over it and went head-over-heels, hat still clutched in his jaw.

He rolled out of the clump of forest he and Link were racing in, spinning down a small inclined hill. A few grass blades flew into the air as the keaton hit them at his furious pace, and he finally let go of the hat he had still grasped onto for dear life. The momentum died away as he finally reached the bottom of the small hill, limbs and tails sprawled out on the grass, head spinning dizzily.

By the time Trey had shaken off the dizziness, he saw Link running down next to him. He had retrieved his much loved forest-green cap, and he set in back in its rightful place, on his blonde head, when he kneeled down next to the keaton. "Are you okay?" He asked, a little worry in his voice, although a small smile was on his face.

Trey only responded with a quick lick on Link's face, making the young Kokiri chuckle as he pushed the keaton away from him lightly. Link took a deep breath and sighed it out as he laid back onto the cloud-soft grasses beneath him. He put his hands underneath his head, looking up at the sky happily. Trey also situated himself down on his stomach, head on his paws. "What a fun day!" The blonde sighed gleefully, all worries and woes from that morning completely forgotten.

The warm afternoon sun rays beat down on the two friends, who just lay in the grass next to one and another, content just to be in each other's presence. The keaton's, and Link's, eyelids were beginning to droop under the warm, lulling sunlight as Trey felt a tiny arm snake around his neck. He opened an eye lazily, fighting off the temptation of sleep, to see it was indeed his friend who had done this. He smiled, licked Link's hand briefly, and then went back to his state of drowsiness, which was quickly overcome by a light nap, both Kokiri and keaton smiling as they slept.

-oOoOo-

Trey's left ear twitched spontaneously; it seemed as if there were some insect upon it that the body instinctively wanted to get rid of. He groaned in annoyance as both of his ears twitched; now it was quite clear that there were some insect crawling in his fur. Gradually, he opened both of his shimmering nougat eyes, yawning as he did so. Link's arm was still around him, and he had to carefully manoeuvre his body so that he wouldn't disturb the child from his blissful nap. The keaton sat up, scratched behind his ear, and yawned again. He had to admit, that was one of the most peaceful sleeps he had had in quite sometime, one that was not filled with horrible dreams of the dark wolfos.

He proceeded to stretch his limbs, shaking off any tiredness he had. His ear swerved, not because of the itch he had recently scratched away, but because of a familiar sound. The keaton turned his head slightly, smiling when he saw his friend stir in his sleep, slowly waking up. He, too, yawned and stretched his arms as he sat up, blinking tiredly at the keaton. Once he was adjusted to the light, he grinned at Trey, kneeling next to him and patting his head again. "I wonder what time it is…" He thought aloud suddenly, like how most people often do when they wake up from an unplanned snooze.

Trey wondered the very same thing at this instant, craning his neck up at the sky, ignoring the tender, friendly pets on his head. His hazel eyes widened as he saw the position of the sun, and spun around to face Link, who had ceased the pettings and had just begun to situate himself in a comfortable place against the fluffy grass. The keaton silently wondered if Link knew of how late it was as he watched the Kokiri stare back at him, confusion on his boyish face.

_Dusk! It's dusk!_ Trey thought desperately, jaw clenched. He needed to get home soon; it had almost been a full day since he had left the pack to think, and he had gotten sidetracked with many distractions. It wasn't that he _wanted_ to go back to the pack, but it was more of the potential consequences if he did not return to the Hideaway. Even if they didn't want him in the pack, they'd still hunt him down for fun (knowing Skunk), he hypothesized.

"What's the matter, boy?" Link asked, breaking the keaton out of his thoughts.

Trey glanced back and forth from the forest to the sky, then back at Link, hoping that the Kokiri would understand.

Link's blue eyes blinked a couple of times. The keaton gritted his teeth, giving up on making his friend understand on what he was trying to say. He turned around and started jogging off into the woods. Link, finally grasping at what his animal friend was trying to say before, called out quickly, before Trey could disappear anymore, "Wait!"

Trey stopped at this, and turned his head around, looking at the now distanced Kokiri with calm nougat eyes. "I…I usually come into the forest everyday around mid-morning," Link continued. "If you want to find me, just wait by the big log…okay?"

The keaton hesitated for a moment, pausing to think. With a slow nod of his head and one last look at the child, he sprinted off into the growth of the thick woods, knowing exactly where he was going.

Roughly he pushed limbs and brush aside as he trampled through the thick wooded area, eyebrows furrowing in determination. A certain sense of dread hit him as he continued his rampage through the foliage, and he silently wondered what they would do to him once he had returned to the Hideaway. He had severely injured Fish, he suddenly remembered, and had run away from the group for almost a full day; Blaze would surely give him a mouth-full when he would arrive. He shook it off, convincing himself that everything would be okay and that life would move on, no matter how bad things seemed in the present time.

He leapt out of the last clump of bushes, shaking off stray leaves from his fur, just as the sun had begun to disappear halfway over the horizon. The meeting with Link suddenly replayed in his mind, and quickly, he sniffed himself, hoping that there wouldn't be Hylian scent on his fur.

He groaned in annoyance as he discovered some smell of human in his coat, and looking around for something to wipe it off with, he spotted a puddle of muddy water. Not hesitating for a second, he rolled in it, and when completely human-scent-free, he shook his fur, and trotted past two stumps, where the Hideaway was waiting for him.

The vine-covered entrance stood in front of him, a couple tail-lengths away, and with an inhalation and exhalation, Trey proceeded forward, ready to overcome the awaiting chastisement.

The Hideaway was as busy as usual, as little pups played and messed around, parents talking or eating, or, in the cases of the elderly, sleeping. However, when Trey stepped through the entrance, the activity seemed to die down considerably, most eyes fixed upon the keaton, who definitely stuck out like a sore thumb in the pack of wolfos. His recent actions had reached the wolfos who had not attended the reception in the clearing, and now most of the members knew of the fight, and of how the truth was revealed to him.

Self-consciousness was the first feeling he felt as he trotted through the rock-surrounded clearing, towards his den to find his father and mother, as he could hear various murmurs and whispers and feel the various gazes fixed upon his body.

"Oi! There's the coward!" A way too familiar voice barked at him from across the Hideaway. Fish came hobbling over to the keaton, rather slowly due to his limp; Skunk walking carefully next to his friend, to make sure he was okay. The places where the keaton's claws had raked the glittery silver coat were visible; red and now covered in a thin scab of new skin. Trey mentally winced when he saw how much damage he had caused to Fish, but consciously winced more when he noticed Skunk and Fish's gritted fangs and glimmering eyes.

Trey stood his ground as the two young adults finally made their way over to him, hair rising slightly on their necks. "Did you honestly expect to avoid me, keaton?" Fish hissed, scratching the ground with his claws. "I'm surprised you even have the gut to come back 'ere! Don't think I'll forgive you for what ya did! What do ya have to say for yourself, huh?"

"The reason I left was to clear my head." Trey barked back calmly, "I did not run away because I regretted my actions, but to think."

Fish snorted. "Tch. _Think_. You should do that more often; otherwise you'd be in a better situation than you are now."

The keaton said nothing in response to this, only a soft, low growl in his throat. He stopped, and turned to Skunk, locking eyes with the Hunting Party Captain. "Where's Twiggy? I would like to see him."

The black and white wolfos's fur suddenly puffed out, while he drew his lip back, showing the glimmering rows of ivory fangs he had. "Oh, after my brother now, eh?" He blamed, eyes narrowing.

Trey was instantly taken aback by this accusation. "I beg your pardon? 'After Twiggy'? That's the most absurd thing I've heard all day! Why would I attack him? He's my friend!"

"We can't trust creatures like _you_," Fish interjected, shifting his weight evenly. "Who knows who you'll attack next? Nearly killed me, what'll happen to a younger wolfos if you try the same thing, eh?"

"Rubbish!" The keaton cried, exasperated. "Stop telling yourselves false facts! I just want to _talk_ with Twiggy, not _kill_ him!"

"What's with all the shouting?" An older female voice snapped, causing all three boys to turn their heads, to where a light grey female wolfos was exiting her den.

"I thought I told you boys to keep it down—" She began, but quickly stopped when she saw Trey standing with the two older wolfos. The keaton suddenly wished he could turn invisible under her mixed-emotions gaze as he averted his eyes away from her light blue ones. "Oh! Shadow! Shadow!" She called back into the den softly, keeping a half an eye on Trey the whole time. "Come quick! He's back!"

"Hmm?" The dark grey head of Trey's adopted father poked out of the den, his emerald eyes scanning the Hideaway for whatever his mate was talking about. His eyes widened a little as a relieved smile spread across his face when he saw Trey standing in the middle of the clearing. "Trey!" He called, rushing over to his adopted son.

However, before he could make it to Trey, Blaze beat him to it, with his goody-goody daughter trailing behind him, a smug grin on her face. If there was any other time that Trey wanted to disappear all the more, now would be it. A prolonged silence hung in the air as Shadow caught up with the group, Blaze's dancing ember eyes shifting from Trey, to Shadow, to Fish, and back to Trey. "So, you decide to show your face here, eh?"

Trey was silent, waiting.

"First you severely injure a respectable hunter, and then you run away into the forest, tail between your legs for nearly a day!" His deep voice boomed emphatically, silencing all activity in the Hideaway. "The nerve! Shadow, I thought I told you to punish your son, not let him meander through the woods, enjoying a nice little holiday away from home!" His words snapped at the dark grey wolfos, who stood firm next to his son, although not in a defiant, cocky manner.

"Don't blame him!" Trey interjected, defending his adopted father. "It's not his fault; I was the one who ran away!"

"Do not speak to your superiors like that!" Autumn cut in; a bratty, spoilt tone to her voice. "Give the Alpha more respect when addressing them!"

"That's enough, Autumn." Blaze looked over his shoulder and flicked his tail on her paws, telling her to please be quiet. He turned back to Shadow and his son. "I believe a chastisement is in order, then."

"Yes, I believe it is." The mysterious, cold voice of Blizzard added in. Her voice made nearly all the wolfos who were present at this small meeting jump; no one had heard her arrive. "The question is: what shall it be?" Her deep aqua eyes shimmered briefly for a moment, as if enjoying the thought of punishment for the keaton, but changed to the regular, unemotional gaze she usually carried with her.

"I say we let me rip out his pretty little tails, claw at his ears, and bite his legs!" Fish commented, grinning deviously at Trey the entire time, who just merely glared at the silver wolfos.

"Haven't you ever heard of 'Turn the other cheek'?" The keaton sneered, watching as Fish's eyes narrowed to slits.

"As much as I would enjoy seeing that," Skunk whispered into Fish's ear, "I think that's a bit too radical; we have to go on a basis of ground rules, you know."

Skunk's friend rolled his eyes and "huffed", annoyed. "Yes, but it would be great fun, and it would teach him a thing or two about messing with me."

"Might I suggest the idea of not letting him out of the Hideaway for a couple of days?" Autumn chimed in once more, gaining the attention from the others. "We could assign someone to keep an eye on him at all times, especially when we go out to hunt."

Blaze nodded. "That is not a bad idea."

Blizzard spoke up again. "However, I think his punishment would still lack something." She paused. "How about we lower his food portions? We could give him half of what he normally eats for each meal."

Trey nearly tripped. "How long would this punishment _last_ for? That seems a little cruel and unusual, respectfully speaking, Blizzard."

"I say we starve him!" Fish, of course had to say something like this. Everyone chose to ignore this statement, especially Trey.

"It is a little unusual, Blizzard," Shadow finally spoke up, "If you are going to do it, can we take away a third of his portions, maybe?"

The aqua eyes of the alpha female were still and unmoving. "…So be it." She concluded at last, shifting her gaze from Shadow to Blaze.

"Who shall watch the keaton when we're away, though?" The silver-furred wolfos questioned openly, his eyes never leaving his attacker.

"Would you _please_ stop calling me that, you walnut-brain?" Fish didn't reply, only smirked.

"How about Sandy?" Twiggy's older brother suggested spontaneously, breaking the thin, yet growing, tension between the two animals. "If Sandy were to watch Trey, he'd be less likely to attack her."

"I'm not a bloodthirsty monster, you know." The keaton murmured under his breath, growling softly in his throat. It was at this point that Fish had to lie down, due to the amounts on pressure he was putting on his weakened legs.

The alpha male turned to face the black and white wolfos. "Why Sandy?"

"Well, I figure that Trey wouldn't attack her in any sort of fashion because he's little…infatuated by her."

Trey's face flushed as all eyes turned to him. "Uh—how do you—what…what makes _you_ so sure, huh?"

The grey alpha chuckled with a light "heh". "Excellent observation, Skunk. We shall do just that." Skunk, happy he earned the approval of his leader, grinned. "Sandy!" Blaze called out, spotting the juvenile sand-coloured wolfos walk past. She stopped suddenly, looking at her leader with worried, and maybe slightly confused, mocha eyes gazed back at him. "Please come here," He called again, and without question, the female trotted over to the circle of wolfos.

She bowed her head briefly when she was an official part of the ring. "Yes sir? Is there anything I can do to help you?" She politely inquired, trying her best not to mumble or become overly shy.

The alpha male nodded. "Yes, there is. Would you be able to handle watching Trey for a week on your own? He is not allowed to leave the Hideaway, and must stay inside the entire time; can you do it?"

Sandy glanced over to said Trey, who still had a tiny bit of red in his face from earlier and was grinning a lopsided smile at her, partly because of embarrassment, partly because of worry. The female wolfos turned back to Blaze and nodded. "Yes sir; that would be fine." She issued a small, timid smile. "When does this start?"

"Tomorrow."

-oOoOo-

Sandy lay near the entrance of the Hideaway, pawing at stray flowers with a slight interest. She hummed a tune softly under her breath as Trey lay next to her, revelling in the closeness of Sandy and he and also how the grasses tickled his stomach. _Day seven, day seven, day seven…_ He muttered in his mind, smiling at the thought of freedom after a week of seclusion. Apart from the shrunk down food portions and the fact that he couldn't leave the clearing, he was also not allowed to speak to anybody other than Sandy, his parents, the alphas, and Skunk. He was ready to get out of this place and run around freely again.

There was something else calling him, other than the joy of liberation.

That young Kokiri he met a week ago. All throughout this week of near insanity, he had thought about the child, and how fun it was to be around him, to make him laugh and cheer him up when, in that one occasion, he was sad. Link had also returned the friendly mannerisms mutually, by providing the keaton with a friendship that was not superficial, nor prevented from the boundaries of species difference. The keaton sighed, wanting to go out and play in the forest like a pup, untainted by worries and woes.

"What are you singing?" He asked Sandy, resting his head on his paws with a smile.

The female juvenile stopped her humming and averted her eyes away for a brief moment as a lopsided grin spread on her face. "Oh, um, it's nothing…Just a tune." Came her meek reply.

"You sure? Sounds like something I've heard before, but I can't exactly place my paw on it."

She giggled a little, forcing herself to look at the keaton. "Okay, you got me; it's that old rhyme that our parents used to teach us when we were pups, remember?" Upon seeing Trey's still slightly confused gaze, she added, "The one about the cheeky squirrel and the wise, old owl? It's my favourite."

Remembrance hit Trey. "Oh! That one! Yes, how could I forget?" They both shared a chuckle or two before it went quiet again.

"So, um," Sandy started again, feeling uncomfortable in the stillness. "Are you excited that today is the last day of your punishment?"

Trey sighed happily. "Yes, very happy! I can't wait to feel the many leaves brush against my fur and the sight of so many trees surrounding me. I know it's been only a week, but I miss exploring the woods."

The sand-coloured wolfos couldn't help but sympathize with the keaton. "I'm sorry, Trey…I don't think it's entirely fair to keep anyone cooped up away from the things they love. If I were Blaze, I would've let you go with just three or four days of punishment."

"Thank you Sandy, but it isn't your fault, so you don't have to be sorry for anything." Trey flashed a genuine smile at the girl, who returned it with one of her own.

The meek juvenile begun to hum again, the tune was light-hearted and bouncy, describing the squirrel's leaps and bounds from tree branch to tree branch in search of acorns for the winter months. She closed her eyes, a smile on her lips, envisioning the fluffy creature hopping to and fro, wary of predators in the woods and the other squirrels it was competing against for food. Tentatively, Trey scooted closer to Sandy, to the point where their bodies were slightly touching, and slowly, hesitantly, intertwined one of his tails with Sandy's.

Her humming stopped as she felt this, and slowly turned her eyes to Trey, fumbling for the right words to say to him. "Um, Trey…" She began, Trey's chocolate pupils locking on with her light mocha ones. "I…I've heard from around the pack that you…like me."

The keaton nodded slowly, unsure of where this was going.

"It's just that…um, well…The fact is…I don't—I don't think it'll, you know…" She turn away her eyes from Trey's stare, slightly embarrassed at what she was trying to tell him.

Trey frowned. "It won't work, right?"

The female's eyes were apologetic as she stared down at the flowers, her ears lowering in slight shame. "Yes. It—It's not _you_, Trey, it's just…" She trailed off again, swallowing the lump of timidity in her throat.

"It's because I'm a keaton." He sighed. "I know." He slowly rose from his position on the floor, thinking.

"I'm sorry Trey, really; I am…" She replied, also getting up and facing the keaton. "Species difference, the rivalry between groups, the constant tension between you and the pack…I don't think it would work out entirely." She replied in polite honesty, sighing softly. She then gave him two tiny, friendly licks on one ear, apologizing again.

"I understand." He responded, nodding.

It was at this point that the hunting party returned; Blaze, Blizzard, and Skunk emerging through the vine-covered entrance first. Skunk and Blizzard dragged a chunk of meat in their mouths, one meant for Sandy, one meant for Trey. They approached the two juveniles, and as the two wolfos set down the meat on the ground, Blaze addressed them both. "After you finish your meal, Trey, you may leave the Hideaway." He grimaced slightly as he said this, as if he wanted a more extreme chastisement for the keaton.

Trey's face beamed as he hurriedly stooped to devour the meat he had been waiting oh-so-patiently for. Swallowing some of the last bits and swiping his tongue across his face to lap up any excess juices he might have missed, he hurried to find the alpha male. He found Blaze in his regular spot, by his den, where he was discussing something with Skunk quietly. When they saw him approach, they ceased their discussion and turned their eyes to him.

"Yes?" Blaze inquired, trying his best not to look annoyed.

"I'll be leaving now," Trey started calmly, looking directly into his leader's inferno-like eyes. "I don't think I'll come back for at least two days."

"_Two days_?" Skunk sprang up on his paws, incredulous. "What on earth will you be doing for two days alone in the woods?"

"I've just spent a week trapped behind these rock walls," He stated very clearly, "I would like to just spend at least two days alone in the wilderness again. It isn't like I'm plotting against the pack, or something of the sort."

Blaze's eyes were slits. "You better not. But, go ahead, I guess. Just make sure you don't stay out for _too_ long; we'll get suspicious."

The keaton nodded. "Yes sir." And with that, he turned tail and bounded across the Hideaway, through the vines, and out into the open.

Freedom never tasted sweeter.

-oOoOo-

This was at the top of his list of things to do once he was free.

He took a final step towards the giant log, peering cautiously into the infinite blackness that it led into. Trey swung his head side-to-side, looking round to see if there were any signs of his blonde friend. None. He gazed back into the log, thinking of what he should do. Link had said that he usually came into the woods today in the morning, but it was already mid-afternoon; maybe he was still at the Village?

Not knowing what else to do, the keaton let out a couple of barks into the hollowness of the log, jumping slightly when he heard them being echoed out into the other side of the Village. He repeated his barkings, then, waited.

After a few minutes, a wisp of a familiar scent reached his nostrils, and he strained his ears to hear the little pitter-patter of tiny feet coming closer to the log. There was something clambering through the dark abyss of the eerie tunnel, and soon, the something appeared out in the light. Blonde hair, blue eyes, green clothes, cheerful smile:

Link.

Trey's tails swept back and forth happily as he stepped forward to meet the Kokiri halfway. Link, too, ran forward to his friend, obviously pleased to see him. "So my ears _weren't_ deceiving me, then!" He called out, kneeling down to Trey's level and hugging his neck, grinning from ear to ear. They parted after a few moments of their reunited greeting. "I thought you had forgotten about me, boy," Link began, looking straight into the nougat eyes of the keaton. "I didn't see you for about a week! In any case, I'm glad you came back! I missed you!"

Trey, a little bit touched by this consideration, licked Link's face quickly, causing him to grin even wider. "I'm happy you missed me too! Oh, I talked to my friend Saria the other day; when I told her about you, she said that you're not a doggie, but a keaton." He beamed, obviously proud of himself for learning something new, "Isn't that interesting? I never knew that keatons looked like you. And I was thinking," He continued, "I need to give you a name; I can't just call you 'keaton' forever, right?"

Trey chuckled at this as he went forth to lick Link's hand.

"Okay, so, um…How about…" He sat down in front the keaton looking at his physical features carefully, the gears in his head cranking. "Three? No, that sounds weird. Um, Fuzzy? Ew, sounds like something a girl would name." He chuckled, which was joined in by Trey. "Uh…I know! Hazel!" He grinned, pleased with the name. "You're eyes are brownish, and they remind me of hazel nuts! Yeah! From now on, I'll call you Hazel, okay?"

The keaton cocked his head to one side, contemplating this. Well, it wasn't Trey, but it was certainly better than 'Fuzzy' or 'Three'. He gave a couple of friendly barks, letting the Kokiri know that he approved.

The blonde smiled, petted his friend on the head, when suddenly an idea popped into his mind. "Hey, instead of playing in the forest today, why don't you come meet everybody in the Kokiri Village? I won't let them hurt you, I promise."

Trey, now called Hazel in Link's presence, gulped as he looked over Link's shoulder into the intimidating depths of the log. Who knew what the Village was like? What were the Kokiri like? Were they as monstrous as the wolfos portrayed them to be, or were they as nice as Link? He shifted his eyes back onto Link's smiling face, and suddenly, a wave of courage splashed through Hazel. If Link was willing to brave the terrifying depth of the unknown wilderness that was the Lost Woods, he could be just as courageous and face his fears.

With a confident grin, Hazel nodded his head, earning an excited beam from his Kokiri friend. They both rose onto their feet, and following Link, slightly nervous, they marched through the abyss of the tunnel; Hazel now preparing himself to meet his phobia dead on.

-oO **T.B.C. **Oo-

**Justin Time:** Thank you! That was what I was aiming for; a break. :) The wolfos, among other creatures of the woods, _do know_ about the Hylians and the Kokiri. They don't know the exact names, according to race (hence "Hylian cub" for Kokiri, who are the Children of the Forest) but they know that most of the Hylians do not like wolfos, and wish to kill them, which is why they stay away from them. Trey just knows that Link is a Kokiri because Link told him. (Great penname by the way; reminds me of a product I had to make up once, based off of someone named Justin. The product was _Just-in Time_ for the holiday season! x3)

**Jaderill:** Link! He's so cute as a kid!...Not that he looked bad as an adult though; he looked pretty hot….! –swoon- x3 Sorry again for the delay…


	8. Prepare Yourselves

**Summary:** When a wolfos mother adopts a keaton pup, controversy arises in the pack. What happens when the keaton later learns of his hidden past? And what happens when he stumbles upon a Kokiri child in the forest? How will all of this affect his future?  
**Rating:** T; the Kokiri and wolfos are going to start getting ugly to each other. Swearing and a little more violence, to be exact.  
**Flames? **No flames, please, although a bit of constructive criticism is nice. But, by all means, am I not refusing the offer of a friendly review! Don't be shy in reviewing; I won't bite!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.  
I do, however, "own" all the identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera.

**Author's Notes:** No excuse can make up for my absence, unfortunately, so I'll just apologize again to you.  
This chapter is about one-thousand words longer (it doesn't matter that much though) than the usual chapters I write, but I had to stop due to over-excessive content. In other words, I was planning on putting _a lot more_ than what I wrote here, but if I went ahead and put all those scenes in, the word-count would be way too much. I'm trying to keep a fairly constant rate of content for each chapter, so I thought it would be appropriate to move all those scenes to the next chapter. The rating for this story has gone up a point because I'll be swearing more in the story, and more violence will be added probably.  
Oh man, another climatical point is coming up _really_ soon in the story (the one scene I was going to add in this chapter, but had to move it) and I'm getting so excited about it! Hehe…But I can't give anything away, so no asking me, okay? x3

Oh yes, one last thing: since posting review-responses in stories is not allowed anymore, I will not respond to your reviews. However, I do register each and every one in my mind, and am very grateful for your consideration!

-oOoOo-

**Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing  
****-  
****Chapter Eight: Prepare Yourselves**

-oOoOo-

Darkness surrounded the two friends as they stepped through the log tunnel, making Trey feel a little uncomfortable. He shivered a bit for some reason, as if fearing that a monster would spontaneously pop out from the shadows, threatening to eat him. However, Link's aura was the opposite; confident, calm, and competent. The keaton stepped closer to the Kokiri, knowing that he would be alright with his friend, despite what his feelings were. The echoing, dark abyss of the tunnel was seemingly never-ending, and for a brief moment, Trey wondered if they should turn back, but when a thin ray of light was visible at the other end of the log, he realized with a relieved sigh that they were going to be alright.

The thought of what lay _beyond_ the end of the tunnel plagued the keaton's mind for a second as he and the Kokiri stepped ever closer to the streaming, dappled light. Would the Village be a place of horror, full of bloodthirsty Kokiri, or would these elusive creatures be of friendly nature, peaceful and loving? If they were anything like Link, then surely they would be jubilant, worriless creatures. Somewhere in the back of his mind played a fantasy-like image of what the Village would be like—dead plants, withering crops, skeleton like inhabitants—but Trey also realized that this was just imagination, and if this place was anything like what he dreamed of, then Link would be something totally different than what he was.

They reached the end of the tunnel, and Trey shook the thoughts from his mind, preparing himself for anything; attack, embrace, acceptance, rejection.

And then, with a deep inhale and exhale, the keaton bravely plucked up the courage, and stepped after his two-legged friend, anxious.

"So," Link's voice piped up when they had both successfully exited the tunnel, "What do you think?"

The Kokiri Village was indeed quite the opposite of what everyone made it out to be. It, actually, looked a lot like the forest, which calmed Trey's nerves down to a smaller degree. Among the lush grasses and mammoth-sized trees, small yurts with thatched roofs were scattered around, and a tiny, crystal-clear river ran through the Village, the sun reflecting off its surface in a majestic display, making the whole Kokiri Village seem a little brighter and perkier. All in all, it didn't look like a place of malevolent evil, rather, somewhere serene and calming.

Trey tore his eyes off of the new sight for a moment, fixing them on Link's excited face. The keaton issued a couple of short, jubilant barks as his tails swung back and forth, telling the ten year old that he was pleased.

Link grinned broader as he outstretched his hand to pet his friend on the head. "I'm glad you think that, Hazel!" Without warning, Link leapt away from the keaton and off the edge of the ledge they were standing on. The Kokiri waited a moment, looking upwards at Trey, motioning for him to follow. "Come on, boy," He called from below, his grin never leaving his face. "It's alright! Follow me; I wanna show you somethin'!" Hesitantly, Trey followed suit, leaping down each level of ledges just like Link.

The two of them jogged through a small clearing in front of another mammoth log, the tall grasses tickling their skin and brushed past their clothing or fur. "Soon," Link said through a couple of weary-growing pants, "We'll be in the Village. C'mon, it's not much further!" Then, with forced energy, he ran faster, a grin on his face. Trey bolted after him, tongue flopping out excitedly.

A tree limb, limp and decaying, lay in their path, and Link easily jumped over it, but stopped when he had landed on the other side. "Well, well, well," Trey heard a foreigner's voice from where his friend stood. Immediately panicking, the keaton hurried up to catch up with the blonde boy, fearing that maybe this cocky, arrogant toned voice belonged to a threat for the both of them. "Lookie what we got 'ere boys; the _cry baby _returned from his corner again. Hehehe." There were numerous scoffs that followed this.

"Shut up Mido," Link growled in reply, trying to remain as calm and collected, instead of getting too angry too quickly.

"So what _do_ you do in the forest anyway? Besides _cry_ and run away, I mean."

"Heh. I bet 'e goes an' plays wit' the birdies an' squirrels…Like a girl!" Another voice chimed in, scoffs again tagging along after the statement.

"Nuh-uh, do not!" The boy without a faerie shot back, eyebrows lowering, and his mind wishing that these bullies would leave him be, "Besides, Saria does that kinda stuff, and you like her!"

The leader of the thugs stopped his arrogant guffawing at this, grinding his teeth together in annoyance. "Hey! You leave Saria outta this, cry-baby! Besides, she's a girl; she can do that if she wants!"

"…It's not like Saria would like _you_ anyway," Link continued, smirking as he ignored Mido's protests.

"So what exactly are you implying, smart-ass?" The freckled Kokiri stepped forward, fists clenching and unclenching. "That she _wouldn't_ like me, a pure-blood Kokiri, but like _you_, a faerie-less-wimp?"

The blonde shot back a reply, defiantly. "Oh, 'pure-blood Kokiri', eh? Nice title, 'cept it doesn't mean anything, you bragging bag of deku nuts!"

And so, to ice the cake on Link's exclamation, Mido had to scoff and add: "Heh. It means that I have parents who both had faeries! Your mum and dad aren't even _alive_, but I bet they were faerie-less all their lives, just like _you_!" The assemblage of thugs guffawed with mean spirits at the sight of Link's face, which was now darkening dangerously at the mention of his late parents.

The blonde Kokiri couldn't take it anymore; when someone mentioned his deceased parents, the strong-willed conscience of his would just crumble like soft sand. The other Kokiri never mentioned exactly how his parents happened to die, everyone didn't exactly know the whole story behind his parents' death, only except for the fact that they weren't around anymore. This riddle was only one of the subjects that built itself upon Link's heavy heart, so in a confused state of unknowing, whenever someone mentioned this delicate topic, he would react the one of the only ways he knew how, for most children are naïve in ways of judgement; he would hit his offender.

He did just that.

Clenching his left fist tightly, so tightly that his knuckles turned white, Link threw his fist at Mido's freckled face, who was caught unawares and stumbled backwards. The force of the punch wasn't as strong as it could've been, but the blonde Kokiri was not entirely used to the art of fistfights, especially for someone of his age. Mido, a hint of a snarl growing on his lips, turned his head around slowly, showing his foe his arched eyebrows and developing bruise on his cheek, from where Link's fist connected to, and hissed out a, "Oh, so you wanna play _that_ way, eh?"

Link took a step back, knowing that he might've just made a bad mistake. He was horribly outnumbered, one to four, not to mention his fighting skills hadn't fully developed yet. Still, he stood his ground, forcing himself not to look weak in the eyes of Mido, who had accused him countless times on his helplessness.

"Oi! Let's get 'im!" One of Mido's lackeys shouted, the statement earning numerous growls of approval.

The Kokiri foursome were about to advance on nearly defenceless Link when Trey couldn't take much more of it. He should've intervened earlier in this, instead of hiding behind the log, eavesdropping on the argument.

The keaton landed in front of his blonde friend, his yellow fur sticking straight up to the sky, like tiny needles along his spine. His muscles were heavily tensed up, and his lip drawn as far back as possible, showing rows of gleaming, dagger-like teeth; all in all, a dangerous symbol as a warning to the foe. Mido and his goons immediately stopped their advancement as Trey leapt down in front of them, and the freckled Kokiri leader even stumbled backwards into the arms of his followers, eyes wide and trembling. "Bloody hell!" He yelped, knees beginning to shake under the fearsome, fiery gaze of Trey. "What in Din's holy name is _that_ doing here?"

"Hazel!" Link gasped, feeling slightly relieved at the sight of his friend, whom he thought had deserted him for a moment.

Mido recovered after a moment of shock, the three boys behind him lifting his body back into its rightful position, all of which were still hesitant, and slightly nervous, to be in the presence of the snarling, spitting animal.

"Oh. It-it's just a dog. Heh. Nothing to be worried about." Mido gulped, swallowing his anxiousness of the keaton expertly. His auburn eyes hesitantly went from the threatening animal to Link, who stood behind Trey, a small, confident smile on his lips. "This yours?" Mido spat, pointing a finger at the offending three-tailed creature.

Link nodded, now feeling a little more relaxed in Mido's ready-to-fight spirit. "Yeah, he's my friend. His name is Hazel."

"I told ya 'e talks to the animals," Whispered one of the red-haired Kokiri's followers.

"So you've finally found a friend then, huh? Tch. Whatever." The Kokiri leader crossed his arms, his auburn eyes locking tightly with the undying fire that gleamed and sparked in Trey's hazel pupils. "So? Are you gonna call it off or what?"

Link blinked twice, until he finally understood what Mido was trying to communicate. "Oh, uh, why should I? I bet'cha, if I do, you're just going to take the moment and attack me!"

Mido feigned innocence as he gazed around at his followers, who were also doing the same. "Who? Me? Why, why would I? I mean, my rage is completely gone! Honest to goddess!"

Link still looked sceptical, yet, asked Hazel to back down a little, although not completely.

The red-haired boy crouched down to Trey's height. "Hm, so, why'd ya bring this thing anyway?" He sneered, scanning over the keaton with judgemental eyes.

"I…I wanted to introduce him to the Kokiri! I thought he might like it." Link said, watching Mido carefully, to make sure he didn't try and do anything. "I don't think Hazel's ever been around people before, so I wanted to show him us." He added quickly, as the thought burst into his mind, but he regretted it almost instantly as he said it.

The goons' smirks returned, as Mido rose from the ground, crossing his arms over his chest pompously. "Really? Huh. Ya know, this thing's pretty scrawny for a dog—"

"Keaton!"

"—Whatever. I think I might as well put it out of its misery!" He laughed, delivering a harsh, swift kick to the keaton, who was caught by surprise and flopped backwards, whimpering in unexpected pain.

"Hazel!" Link cried, rushing over to his furry friend's side. He cast his eyes swiftly at Mido, who stood defiantly, arms still folded over his chest. "What the hell was that for? You're such a jerk, you know that? Goddesses!"

When he was least expecting it though, one of Mido's friends had snuck up behind him and now, at this exact point, he had roughly grabbed the back of Link's tunic and dragged him away from the sprawled out animal, who was slowly beginning to rise back on his paws. Without wasting a second, and ignoring Link's surprised and defiant protests as he was dragged away from the scene, the remaining boys advanced on the keaton, and proceeded to deliver kick after kick to the animal, never allowing a moment for retaliation.

The boy without a faerie freed himself from the vice-like grip of the follower of Mido, and instantly rushed over to the group of laughing boys, who were having a jolly good time beating the life out of the poor keaton. Link pushed away the attackers roughly, trying to get to his friend, unknown energy bursting through his veins. "Damn it, get out of my way!"

However, before he could successfully reach the beaten keaton, Mido threw a hard, and unexpected, punch to Link's face, who was sent flopping backwards, unprepared for such an action.

Mido's smirk grew wider. "That was payback for earlier, _orphan_."

He groaned lightly before composing himself together. "You're cruel." Link spat, simply, as he advanced on to Mido and his group, who were all laughing at the cold-hearted actions they performed. Without warning, the blonde again punched Mido in the face, silencing the wicked jeers that had previously erupted from the foursome. "How _dare_ you treat someone, an animal no less, like that?"

"I'll _show_ you how we treat them!" The red-haired Kokiri leapt at Link, his fists clenched tightly, showing to fear in the fiery sparks of a fight. Of course, like sheep, Mido's lackeys followed him willingly, jumping together to the aid of their powerful leader. Just like Link had predicted, there was strength in numbers, and according to the numbers presented, he was considered weak against the four of them. Half of the group pinned his arms to the ground, despite his struggles, while the other two were busy kicking his ribs among punching him every now and then, just for the heck of it.

Link didn't care all that much about this treatment, although it was painful, for he was used to it, but worried more about his keaton friend, whom he hadn't seen since he was dragged away from him. How he wished he could escape the horrible beatings he received from the bullies and to rush over to Hazel, making sure he was alright. He writhed violently under the bullies, trying with all his might to push them off and to get free, but it was no use, and it drained his energy supply significantly.

"Hey! Just what do you think the four of you are doing?" A feminine voice shouted over the mocking taunts, jeers, and hoots the bullies were issuing, and all of a sudden, all activity stopped. Mido was the first to twirl around, shocked that someone had caught him red handed. He gulped when he saw the owner of the voice, as did the other boys when they saw who it was.

"Oh, uh, h-hiya Saria!" Mido stuttered, fidgeting uncomfortably with his hands, glancing up at the green-haired Kokiri, feeling slightly uncomfortable in her aggravated aura. He gulped. "Um…Wha-what's up?"

"Don't you 'what's up' me, Mido!" She snapped back, her usually friendly tone harsh and serious. "Are you doing just what I think you were doing?"

The foursome shifted around uneasily, not daring to speak a word.

"I knew it! Gah, Mido, you can be such a pain!" Saria cried, exasperatedly. "You four, go home! I'll give you a nice talking to when I return, you understand?"

The boys nodded in solemn understanding, hesitantly following Saria's orders.

Once they had cleared from the scene, Saria sighed, compassionately, as she rushed over to Link's side, ready to help him.

"Goddesses, Link," She whispered, kneeling down onto the ground, just as the blonde was struggling to get up. "I'm sorry they got you again…I always scold Mido for his actions, but he never learns." She sighed softly again, "Are you alright?"

Link had finally managed to sit up; he turned to face his friend, a small, strong-willed smile on his face. "Yeah, I'm used to this kinda stuff,"

"It's not right, though." Saria interjected politely, placing a hand tenderly on his shoulder. "I'm really worried about you, Link."

Link's smile grew slightly, and he absently brushed splotches of dirt off his face. "Thanks, Saria," He said, his words not full of superficial thanks, but rather, true gratitude. "But don't be. Not now,"

Just as Saria was about to ask what he was talking about, he pointed to Trey's bruised body, attempting to stand up at the same time. "They got Hazel, too. I'm worried 'bout him than I am about me." Saria gently pushed Link back to his sitting position, telling him in a silent way to rest, as she rose from the ground and ran over to the keaton.

"Oh my, poor creature," Saria cooed, lifting up one of Trey's paws. She turned her forest green eyes back to Link. "Is this the keaton you met in the forest?"

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, Mido got to him, though…"

Saria stood up, eyes flashing with sympathy, anger, and determination. "This is gotten out of hand! Stay here a minute, I'll be right back with some of my friends. We need to get you and Hazel back to the Village as soon as possible." Link nodded, and watched as his friend bounded away in the direction he and Hazel were headed in, her steps light and fast, hurried.

-oOoOo-

A crackling fire was sparking and dancing invitingly in Saria's cosy home. She had placed a pot over the fire, trying to boil water for tea, while the fire kept the small house nice and warm. Link sat on a chair, next to the bed where Trey laid, his blue eyes staring intently into the spontaneous movements and rhythms of the fire. One of his hands was absently stroking the furry keaton on his head, as if trying to provide comfort for both him and his animal friend.

"Hey," Saria broke the sounds of the crackling fire as she stepped into the house, from the outside. "I just chewed out Mido. He claims he won't harm you again, but I don't think he's entirely honest." She sighed and took a seat on the edge of the bed, also petting the sleeping body of Trey. "How are you doing?"

The blonde smiled, thankful for Saria's concern. "I'm fine, thanks. Just a little sore and bruised, but nothing serious. Hazel still hasn't woken up, but his breathing's fine, so I guess he'll be alright…"

The green-haired Kokiri grinned happily at Link's new-found friendship, but didn't say anything; instead, she politely excused herself from where she was sitting and made her way over to the fireplace, where she took the pot of water down. "I'll just make us some tea, and I'll be right back." She called softly as she disappeared through a curtain of overhanging cloth, which led to a small kitchen in Saria's house.

When she was gone, Link gently hugged Trey's neck, relieved that the animal was going to be okay.

Then, as if Trey could feel Link's loving presence, his eyes fluttered open sleepily. He adjusted to the new light in the yurt from the fireplace, and yawned. His limbs and sides ached with a throbbing soreness, and the juvenile remembered the fight that had occurred some time ago. At this thought, he suddenly realized that the red-haired kid had probably beaten up Link, and he jolted upwards to find his said friend. However, when he heard a distinguishable voice, and felt a familiar aura with him, he relaxed on the bed again.

"Hazel!" Link cried out happily, again hugging the neck of the animal. "I'm so glad you're awake! Are you alright? They didn't hurt you that badly, did they?"

Trey turned his large nougat eyes to his companion, who was none other than his kind Kokiri friend, Link. The keaton grinned happily, swinging his tails back and forth excitedly at the sight of him. He barked enthusiastically and licked Link's face a couple of times, telling the ten year old that he was fine, despite some of the pulsing bruises he felt.

Gingerly, to try and not aggravate any bruises the animal had, Link petted the keaton's head fondly, his jubilant grin never leaving his face. "I was worried about you, Hazel," He started, scratching behind Trey's ears. "Mido can be so cold-hearted…Oh, and I need to thank you for standing up for me back there. It was brave of you, and very courageous. Thanks." The two exchanged smiles of friendship, listening to the crackling and crunching of the fire in the background. "Oh!" Link exclaimed out of the blue, remembering something. "I forgot to tell you; we're in Saria's house. Remember how I told you about Saria? She and some others brought you back here. She made sure you were okay and even made sure you were comfortable! See, I told you she was nice." He chuckled, letting his hands drop back into his lap.

A couple of knocks interrupted the two friends' reunion, and even startled Link a little, as he jumped in his seat. "Hello? Hello, anyone home?" A girl's voice called from outside, the tone innocent and curious. The door to Saria's house was slowly opened, only by a crack, and the two friends could see a pair of eyes looking into the house. A gasp was heard which was followed by small, incoherent chitterings outside. The door was swung open slowly, and when fully open, it was easy to perceive three Kokiri girls standing in the doorway, anxious, excited expressions on all their faces.

"Oh, hello," Link asked, unsure of why these three girls had decided to drop by.

"Um, may we come in?" One of them asked, fidgeting with her hands absently.

Trey and Link both shared blank glances before the blonde Kokiri finally smiled and replied, "Um, sure, I guess. Why? What's wrong?"

Heidi, a blonde with two huge, round, ball-like ponytails, seemed to be the representative for the three beaming girls. "Oh, uh, well, we heard that you stood up to Mido, and so we wanted to come see you…And Hazel, of course."

Link was taken aback a little by this. They actually _wanted_ to see him? Most of the time, the majority of the Kokiri shunned him away, especially when getting into fights with their powerful freckled leader. "You wanted to talk to me? Really?"

Heidi, among the other two girls, nodded their heads, their grins growing. "Oh yes! We heard you defended an animal, and that Mido actually _hurt_ the both of you! Just the idea alone is awful!"

A brunette standing behind Heidi shyly peeked out and grinned wider. "Mido said that you hated all animals and that you would rather see them all dead then to go near one! I guess he was lying, judging by what happened today! You must be very brave to stand up for your friend like that! I wish I was that courageous!"

"Mido told you I hated animals?" A slightly outraged Link asked, disbelieving that Mido would start to now spread rumours about him, as well as physically and mentally beating up on him. "That's the biggest lie I've ever heard! I can't believe he said that!"

"Do you think that if Mido was lying about that, then maybe he's lying about other things too…?" The girls whispered to each other, starting to question the credibility behind their leader's words. Maybe Link wasn't such a bad guy, as they made him out to be, after all.

"Is that him? Is that Hazel?" The brunette asked, pointing to the keaton that was still present in the room, listening to the conversation with intent hearing skills. He seemed a bit tense, though, when he saw these new Kokiri enter the house; his first impression of what the Kokiri were like was not exactly a good one, so he did not know what to expect.

"Yes, this is him!" Trey's friend chuckled, petting the animal on the head.

The girls giggled, "Ooh, he's so cute!"

"May we pet him? Please?"

"Oh yes, may we? He looks so friendly."

Link turned to Trey, who was still mildly tensed up, and then back at the girls. "Um…Al-alright, I guess…Just be careful; he hasn't been around many people before, so I think he's a little scared."

The trio of girls nodded in understanding and went forth to the bed, kneeling on the floor or sitting on the edge of the mattress. Link put his hand on Trey's head, comfortingly, trying to calm the uneasy animal that everything was okay and that these people did not want to see harm come to him, only to give him love and attention.

Tentatively, the went to pet the keaton and scratch behind his ears, although Trey was still nervous and unsure of the actions of these three girls. However, when they did nothing more than chat kindly to his Kokiri friend and give him lots of attention (which, he enjoyed very much.), he realized that these children were not wicked and spiteful, unlike Mido and his gang of bullies. Slowly, he started to ease out of his tension, and became more tranquil, and even when he would see Link laughing and talking with these strangers, he knew that they must not be horrible, evil children, but rather, much-needed friends for little Link.

"You know Link, I have a cat at home," Heidi said. "Maybe you could come over sometime and we could play with her!"

The ten year-old's grin spread across his face. "Really? That'd be great! I like cats!"

Saria re-entered the room through the curtain flap, cups of tea and biscuits balancing on a tray. "Oh, hello everyone. I didn't even hear you enter my house." She laughed, setting the tray down on a small wooden table. "Good thing I made plenty of tea. Link, I must speak to you about something…With Hazel, also. May we go outside?" At Link's slightly baffled expression at what she was talking about, Saria added, "I think it's time for Hazel to go home now."

The three girls looked disappointed with the news, like Link, as they all wished a good-bye to their furry friend, who was now exiting the yurt-like home along with Saria and Link.

"Link," Saria started, walking towards the entrance of the Lost Woods, Link at her side. "I don't think you should bring Hazel back to the Kokiri Village anytime soon."

"Why?"

"Hazel needs to be with his family in the woods…It's not entirely the best thing to keep him away from his own kind too much. Keatons, among other wild creatures, are not meant to be kept as pets; they need to be able to be free in their own home where they feel is the safest. Of course, I'm not saying you are not allowed to visit him. You both love each other very much and you are more than welcome to go and play together and be friends. All I'm saying is you shouldn't try and take him away from his home…Do you know what I mean?"

Link nodded solemnly. "Yes, I see." They all turned to the mammoth log-the entrance to the Lost Woods. "Well Hazel, I guess I'll see you soon." The keaton smiled and went forth to lick Link's and now Saria's hand as well, as a form of a good-bye.

He stepped into the hollowed out tunnel-like log, took one last look at his friends behind him, and sprinted forth, ready to head home.

-oOoOo-

Four days had past since the eventful day in the Village, and Trey had expertly dodged the subject, telling his family and Twiggy that he had just gone off to explore some of the lesser journeyed portions of the forest. Although his white lie had sounded a little bit off, the wolfos still bought it, but such souls like Fish and Autumn could care less if he was being eaten by some hungry ogre under a bridge. Fish, actually, was quite disappointed that Trey had not returned home with nothing more than a few bruises. He had wished for serious injury, or better yet, death.

The fiasco with the bullies had set a major disapproval point in Trey's mind. Although Link meant well to show him his home and to welcome him into the Village as if he were one of the Kokiri, he knew somewhere in the back of his mind, that it wouldn't be quite the same as living with his own (or relatively close) species. He did, though, left the Village on a pleasant note; the sight of his lonely Kokiri friend finally making new acquaintances made his heart feel a little lighter for some reason, and less worried for the safety and emotional mentality Link had. Speaking of Link, the keaton had not yet seen his blonde friend in these past four days, but it was alright in a way. He needed a small break from the confusing, and slightly scary, presence of Kokiri—especially when they were in numbers.

He sat under a tree in the Hideaway, watching with fascination as a brown leaf came flittering down from the tree's branches. Autumn was slowly approaching, it was quite obvious. The once feather-soft green grasses were gradually, bit-by-bit, turning prickly and the leaves in the trees were beginning to change the colours from a simple green to lush and vibrant shades of oranges, reds, and yellows. With a yawn, he rested his head on his paws lazily, enjoying the cool air around him. Twiggy and Sandy passed by him, chatting about something merry and light-hearted; one could tell from the laughs they shared and the smiles they exchanged.

"Hey Twigs," Trey called out, lifting his head a little and forcing himself to look as inviting as possible, "Do you and Sandy want to go hunting with me soon? I bet we can catch a small doe together! What do you say?"

The mud-coloured wolfos and his companion both looked at each other, worriedly. "Uh, well, we'd really like to, but...We're busy." Twiggy stammered a little, looking around him briefly, while Sandy kept her eyes cast away, shyly.

Trey's face fell a little in disappointment. He knew that even his so thought "friends" were hesitant to still be around him, but he didn't want to say anything, instead he just uttered a, "Oh. Um, that's okay. Don't worry 'bout it then." He smiled to reassure his statement, watching with a hidden-sadness in his eyes as the two walked away, backs facing him. The keaton sighed, wishing that he could show Link his home like how the Kokiri had done for him, but knew it would be next to impossible.

_That was it_. He decided mentally, rising slowly from his leisurely position at the base of the tree. _I'm going to see Link again today. I bet he must wonder where I've been, anyway._ Although, just as Trey was about to set off in the direction of the exit, a blur of dark grey came whooshing out of the vines, as if in panic. Some wolfos cleared the pathway for this familiar creature, while Trey stood in his spot from afar, wondering what could be the matter.

The grey blur was no other than his adopted father, Shadow. Blaze, Blizzard, and Skunk, who had now witnessed this panic-driven scramble, ran forth to meet the guard halfway. "Shadow," Blaze cried out, his deep voice booming in the Hideaway, gaining all attention of present wolfos. "What on earth is the matter? You look like you've just seen a ghost!"

"I'm…sorry...Blaze," Shadow panted out, flopping in front of his leader, tired from the run. He tried to catch his breath, but it seemed like the news he carried was far more important than his breathing patterns. "I had…come tell you…"

"Yes? Yes? Tell me what, Shadow?"

"Deku…Scrubs…in…Sacred Meadow." He finally huffed out, legs wobbling even as he sat down on the grass.

The two alphas and captain both were taken aback by this at once, disbelieving the news for moments. It seemed as though Blaze couldn't find his tongue to speak, and Blizzard was just her normal, quiet self, so Skunk stepped forward, still incredulous. "A-are you sure, Shadow? It wasn't just a trick of the light or a hunger-induced figment of your imagination? You actually _saw _the scrubs?"

The deep grey wolfos nodded his head, gasping every now and then, steadily regaining his correct breathing pattern. "Yes, Rocky and I both saw them." He raised his head to look straight in the eye of the alpha male, to insure that his facts were credible. "They came at us—scores of them—and we had to fight them back, but they were too powerful, and we were too outnumbered. We both fled, but Rocky is slower than I, so I made it here first."

As if on cue, a deep red-brown wolfos sprinted through the vines, and right up to where his guard companion sat in front of the leaders. He flopped on the ground, out of breath. His heart was beating rapidly as he sucked in the air feverishly, trying to regain his strength.

"So this isn't some sick prank then." Blizzard summed up at the sight of the weary guard in front of her. She and Skunk turned their heads to look their ultimate leader in the eyes, questioning silently what to do.

The grey wolfos leader sprang onto all four paws, his eyes dancing and sparking with authority. "Right. There is some evil at hand here, for never in three-and-a-half centuries has ever such an attack been recorded. That was the Great War of the Forest. Do you remember, Blizzard?"

The creamy white wolfos nodded solemnly, her ice-like eyes gazing seemingly into the threads of time. "How could I? The tale of that horrible battle has been past down from generation to generation. Deku Scrubs among other horrible creatures roamed the forests, killing and massacring all forest dwellers they laid their eyes on. It was then when the creatures of the woods banded together, and with aid of the Forest Sage, drove out the beings of evil. Such a war of good and evil destroyed nearly half of the entire forest population." When the alpha female usually spoke of such things as death or suffering, something inside her would giggle with sadistic delight, but when she uttered these words, her lips did not twitch into a smile, rather, remained pointed downwards.

"Yes, it was a terrible fate to be sure." Blaze nodded gravely, his face darkening. "That is why we must take extra protection to our people. Here are the new ground rules I am setting: Make sure no wolfos leaves the Hideaway after dark, unless accompanied by three others. When in daylight, they may leave in pairs. Bring extra food whenever we can back here, and bury it in the ground in case we need it later.

"No pups are to wander away outside of the Hideaway walls unless adults are present. I want a roll call for every pack member every evening, starting tomorrow. The guards for the Sacred Meadow must now be doubled; I will not permit any less than that in such an area. Skunk," He snapped, catching the attention of the captain. "When hunting, stay in a large group and stick together. No one wolfos may leave the group at any given time. Understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Rocky, Shadow, help us spread the word around the pack. I want every single wolfos to be alerted of the news. Clear?"

The two guards nodded simultaneously. "Crystal clear, sir."

"Excellent. Report to me if there is any news on the Deku Scrubs. You are free to go." Everyone was dismissed from the meeting instantly, bounding off in separate directions to spread the news of the danger that was beginning to lurk in the woods.

However, Trey had already begun to sneak out of camp before news could reach him. Before he could pass through the vines though, a bratty, obnoxious feminine voice stopped him dead in his tracks. "And just _where_ do you think _you're_ going?"

Trey spun around, defensive. Autumn stood behind him, a smug grin on her face. She had not been warned of the danger yet, so she did not preach to the keaton about the rules her father had just recently set. "Hunting," Trey breathed, beginning to become more relaxed when he saw it was not an alpha; only her. "I'm just going out for a squirrel or two. I'll be back later…around dusk."

Autumn bore her judgemental eyes into Trey's skull, stamping a little while she stood, arrogantly. "Tch. Fine. Just be sure to bring back something for _me_, okay?"

The keaton nodded slowly, but behind him, he crossed two of his tails, silently chuckling at his cheekiness towards Blaze's daughter. She deserved it, anyway; she could catch her own food. Without any more hesitation, Trey spun around again and sprinted through the vines, leaving the Hideaway as if he were never there.

Autumn huffed, stamped her forepaws, and turning tail, she grumbled a, "I _hate_ keatons."

-oO **T.B.C **Oo-


	9. Disgrace

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.  
I do, however, own all the identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera.

**Author's Notes:** Wow, super-happy-fun-long-chapter, yay. Enjoy, my readers. I had _so_ much fun writing this chapter, I couldn't stop! I wanted to get all the information I needed before proceeding on to the next chapter, which will be another breakage point in the story. However, if you feel this chapter is TOO long, maybe you should tell me and I can break it up into two separate chapters.

The snake-scene at the beginning _is_ significant to the story, so don't just blow it off, people! You have to pay attention to what I write. One word: _foreshadowing_. Ooooh, scary. If you want to make guesses on who someone is, please, please, _please_ don't post it in your review! Keep it to yourself so you don't spoil the story.

And for those of you who don't know, **TBC** stands for** T**o **B**e **C**ontinued.

-oOoOo-

**Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing  
****-  
****Chapter Nine: Disgrace**

-oOoOo-

"Ready or not, here I come!" Link called out in the midst of the quiet clearing. The two inseparable friends had been reunited again, each of them as excited as the other. They needed to do a lot of catching up since the scene in the Kokiri Village, and playing together light-heartedly like little children was, for them, one of the best ways to do so.

The keaton pressed himself closer to the ground, a smug grin spreading on his face. This game of hide-and-seek never got old, rather, it was always different the second time round. Link also had a great deal of fun trying to spot out the crafty keaton in the forest foliage, and usually the animal's spot was so good, that the Kokiri had to give up and call for him to come out. Even with the disadvantage against Trey's strong-powered senses, Link still enjoyed this game, mostly because it was pure, mutual fun between them. He knew somewhere deep in his heart, that Trey would never abandon or bully him. They were the true definition of friends.

"Ha ha! I got'cha!" The blonde laughed, parting the bushes away to reveal Trey's crouched yellow body.

The keaton barked, tails flapping, as he went up to Link and licked his hand a couple of times. The Kokiri laughed even more, partly because of the amount of fun he was having, partly because the keaton's rough tongue tickled his hand. "Alright, alright," He breathed out, gently pulling his now slobbered-on hand away from the animal. "It's your turn to find me! But remember, count to twenty, okay? Otherwise it won't be fair!" Just as the boy was about to run away to his hiding spot, he stopped and called over his shoulder, "Oh! And no peeking!" The keaton chuckled to himself at this as he closed his eyes, counting the numbers in his head.

_One…Two…Three…Four…Five…_

The blonde boy ducked away behind some tall ferns and a rock, his forest green tunic blending in well with his surroundings, like a chameleon.

_Six…Seven…Eight…Nine…Ten…_

Link dared not move in the bushes; even the slightest crunch of leaves underneath him could trigger off his hiding place. He breathed in and out slowly, trying his best not to make the familiar noise of shortened breaths, for that too might give him away.

_Eleven…Twelve…Thirteen…Fourteen…Fifteen…_

However, Link was so caught up in his game that he failed to notice the tall grasses behind him parting away slightly, silently. He peered over the rock he was hiding against, and grinned at the sight of his friend, who was still counting silently by the tree, or in this case, "base". From out of the tall, never-ending rows of drying grass, emerged a long, thin body, which crept along the dirt silently, as if it were air. His body was as well camouflaged in with the surroundings, and so Link still failed to see it coming directly at him.

_Sixteen…Seventeen…Eighteen…_

The scaly, writhing body on the ground advanced closer and closer to the distracted boy. It slithered closer and closer, nearer and nearer, to the boy's unprotected leg, tasting the air with its long, forked tongue spitefully. He could taste the vulnerability in the boy, and writhed closer to his prey. This would take not but a moment or two before the deed had been done.

_Nineteen…Twenty._

_Ready or not, here I come._

Link screamed bloody murder, making the keaton jump out of his fur, as well as scaring the crows from their perches in the trees. Trey instantly picked up his friend's frightened scent, and bounded over to the child's hiding spot as fast as his legs could carry him. Something was amiss in the usually peaceful woods, and he could sense it. In one graceful bound, Trey leapt on top of the rock Link was against, like a gazelle, and peered down to what was ailing the Kokiri.

The colour was completely drained from Link's face as he sat, back against the rock, whimpering and shaking violently. The problem was instantly spotted out by the loyal keaton friend from his perch. A long, nimble serpent was making his way up Link's leg, and towards his upper unprotected skin, like his neck and arms. Markings like a death adder spun around the snake's body like stripes on a candy cane, although, the colouring of this particular serpent was different from a normal death adder in the woods. Instead of blacks and greys, this snake's body was a brown-copper, with deep brown stripes all along his writhing body. The dangerous, blood-red eyes glistened in the sun like two tiny rubies as the serpent opened his mouth to issue a blood-chilling "hissssss".

Venom from his front two, long fangs dripped down as he did so, and it was quite clear for one to see. His elongated, ebony tongue licked along Link's leg as he climbed steadily upwards, tasting the boy's fears with sadistic delight. Once bitten, this child would not survive for more than a mere half an hour; with no cure, not even the strongest faerie in all of Hyrule and Termina combined couldn't aid the boy, for this poison the serpent had produced enchanted with a intoxication of evils.

As the adder-like snake was about to issue his death-kiss on the terrified Kokiri, Trey leapt down from the rock, determination flashing in his hazel eyes. He swatted the snake away with his claws, snarling and spitting ferociously as he did so. The snake recovered from the blow, and hoisted himself upwards on a coiled tail, hissing violently at his attacker. No one dared stand in his way and live.

The keaton had his fair share of encounters with wild snakes before, but never anything like this. This serpent, besides his unusual colourings and venom-production, seemed…stronger. More powerful and hardy, and maybe even more determined than other snakes Trey had come across before. What really baffled the keaton was the fact that a snake came out of hiding in _autumn_. Reptiles needed warmer weather, and since the days were growing colder, fewer snakes had drifted out of the grasses. Once a snake was clawed by the keaton, most of the time they would slither away in the tall grasses, too lazy to put up a fair fight, but not this snake. It struck repeatedly, always missing the keaton by a mere hair, never giving up on his wicked spirit for the taste of death on his tongue. Finally, the keaton struck again at the snake, his aim true and direct.

His claws cut deep into the snake's body, like many kitchen knives slicing a fish. This new discovery was also shocking to the keaton. A snake's body was typically more impervious to his claws, but this one seemed to have not such a good defence system, unlike his powerful offence system. It was almost like sinking his nails into soft berries off the branches, and Trey smirked at the fact that this serpent would come for more than he bargained for. Again the oddly coloured snake attempted striking the nose of the keaton with his dragon-like fangs, but Trey dodged out of the way, the snake's head closer than ever before. Wasting no more time, Trey pounced on his foe, wounding him relentlessly, strike after strike at this buttery skin of frailness.

With a final hiss, the abnormal reptile slithered away from the fight scene, trailing drops of blood behind him as he went through the tall grasses from which he emerged from. Trey looked down at his forepaws and grimaced at the sight of them. Instead of the natural, berry-coloured blood that tainted his paws after a fight, there was a glistening blue-black goo smeared all along his paws. Appauled just by looking at the gunk, he sneered at the awful sight as he wiped his paws hurriedly on the grass, before turning around to face his traumatized friend.

The colour was slowly beginning to return to Link's boyish face, but he still trembled against the rock, his eyes wide and frightened. Trey looked at his friend with sympathetic eyes; he did not know that the ten-year-old had such a phobia of snakes. And so, like all good friends, the keaton went forth to the terrified boy, pressing his head against Link's shoulders gently. Almost instinctively, Link hugged the furry neck of his animal-friend, comforted nearly instantly by just the mere aura the keaton emitted. They stayed like that for a moment, Link regaining his composure slowly. He never told anyone but Saria, the closest person to him, about his deep, dark secret—the fear of snakes. He was awfully petrified at the sheer sight of the wriggling reptiles, not to mention how the snake had nearly bitten him to death. The boy murmured a sincere "thank you" into Trey's fur, finally letting go of the keaton.

He closed his eyes, breathing in and out deeply, gathering his strength and confidence, and ridding himself of the horrid memories of the vicious serpent, and the gruesome battle between it and Hazel. Trey licked Link's face briefly, still trying his best to calm the boy. That little gesture iced the cake, and finally, the Kokiri started to settle down into his normal state.

He rose from his spot on the ground, and Trey watched him with concerned eyes. Link saw this and reassured the keaton that he was doing better than before by faintly smiling at his friend; he did not want to worry the caring keaton. He did, however, not want to be in this spot to play games. Tall grasses where snakes like the reptile who had just tried to kill the innocent young boy were all around them in the clearing, and just thinking about the venomous beings coming out of hiding silently gave Link chills down his spine. "Um, Hazel," His voice quivered a little, trying to push the thought of more snake-attacks out of his mind, "Can we go play somewhere else, please?"

The keaton knew what his friend meant by that and he nodded his head in understanding. He smirked consciously, thinking of a way to go to another location while playing at the same time. He ran away from Link for a short distance, then made a U-turn and bumped right into the Kokiri purposely. He barked and bounded up and down, tails flapping from side to side eagerly.

Link stayed quiet for a moment, thinking of this strange action. Finally getting it, he grinned wildly and shouted, "Oh! Tag!" He laughed, chasing after the keaton, who was happy Link had discovered what he was trying to communicate. Smirking, the green-clothed boy chased after his friend through the thickly settled woods, laughing with ecstatic content. Even the horrible memories like the snake-attack could be instantly melted away for a while by playing with friends and having a good time. The keaton knew he was faster than the Kokiri when running, so he slowed his pace considerably so Link could catch up with him, but still did not get himself tagged.

The inseparable duo tore through ferns and bushes, stamping over wild flowers and grasses, and expertly dodged overhanging tree branches as the continued their merry game. Finally, when Trey slowed his pace to avoid a small patch of thorns, Link caught up to the nimble keaton, tagging him with a laugh and the exclamation, "Tag! You're it!"

Before Trey could even think twice, his friend was already sprinting away through the foliage of the forest, his laughs descending in volume as he ran further and further away. With a smirk, the keaton sprinted after Link, his steps light and nearly silent as he seemingly glided over the ground. He stopped running though when he heard no more sounds of crunching leaves, a sign of Link's dash. He stood stock still, heart-pounding and tongue lolling out of his mouth in a pant as he listened with acute hearing skills for any signs of his two-legged friend. Only when he heard a tiny sneeze, he knew that Link must not be gone, but merely hiding. The keaton rushed over to where he heard the noise and sure enough, discovered his sneaky friend hiding behind a colossal tree trunk, barely breathing in order to stay quiet. Link cried out in surprise when the keaton jumped in front of him, and he barely dodged the swipe Trey made at him. He rolled out of the way as another swipe came at him, and hurriedly picked himself up from the ground and raced through another patch of bush.

With an overpowering determination to tag the blonde boy, Trey sprang after the child, adrenaline pumping in his veins. Trey rammed himself in Link's backside, pushing him down on the ground, face-first. Of course, he wasn't hurt in this action, rather, he laughed at the game and the fact that he was now "it" again. However, Trey was too busy playing and having a fun time with his Kokiri friend to notice the location where the two had ended up in. The two friends sat in the grass of the small clearing, catching their breath and laughing in between gasps and pants. Trey rolled over on his back, heart pounding in his chest from the severe running he and Link had just accomplished.

His long, pointy, black-tipped ears pricked up though when he heard familiar sounds approach the area where he and Link sat. He sat up, suddenly alert with a serious, worried aura to him. Those voices…They sounded so recognizable, but he couldn't place his paw on it. He rose to his feet, ears erect and listening with fixed attention as the voices grew steadily louder. Link seemed to notice this sudden, strange behaviour in his friend, and with a concerned curiosity, he asked, "Hazel? What's wrong?" The keaton paid no heed to his two-legged friend's words as he tried to pinpoint the memory attached to the sounds, but it seemed lost in the depths of his mind. Suddenly, a rustling of bushes was heard, and out of the lush foliage emerged two figures, their presence squeezing the life out of Trey:

Sandy and Autumn.

The colour drained immediately from Trey's face as he saw these two girls from his pack enter the clearing. He wanted to sprint away with Link from their gazes, but it seemed as though his feet were glued to the ground and held by massive weights that prevented him from going anywhere. The two girls instantly ceased their conversation as they stared at Trey, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. Link, who had his back turned to the two she-wolfos, noticed Trey's odd stance, and turned around to look at what the keaton was staring at. When he too saw the wolfos standing before him, he gulped, knowing that wolfos could be very vicious, even if not aggravated. He scooted closer to Trey, knowing that this three-tailed friend of his would never let harm come to him.

Sandy's expression subsided from blatantly shocked to a sad, disappointed frown. The mere sight of this silent communication contorted the keaton's intestines in a maze of perplexing knots and squeezed his heart like a lemon ready to be made into lemonade. Autumn on the other hand had a very different reaction than her friend. Instead of the incredulous expression that she too once had, her face twisted into a sly, smug grin of sadistic bliss. She would not let her much-hated keaton-enemy's mistake go by unnoticed. She turned tail, and with one last grin of wicked dark-heartedness, she sprang back from where she came, and towards the Hideaway, which was dangerously close to the clearing. Trey gasped as he realized what Autumn was about to do, and grabbed the collar of Link's tunic, attempting to drag the boy in the direction of the Village. Luckily for Trey, Link knew what the keaton was trying to tell him, and rose from the ground, jogging away into the woods with a last good-bye look over his shoulder.

When Trey turned his head towards the direction in which Sandy and her catty friend had come from, he discovered that Sandy too had left, but only just recently as the bushes were still rustling. He grinded his teeth together in anguish as he bolted through the bushes, sweating with fear at what could come out of this if Autumn arrived in the Hideaway before he did. He swore colourfully under his breath, pushing his body to its very limit, willpower like no other bursting in his muscles. He whooshed past Sandy, but paid no attention to her or any other side distractions; all that mattered was the factor of Blaze's snobby daughter.

He persisted onwards, faster and faster he ran, and faster and faster his heart-pounded in his chest, blood rushing in his ears. The hammering heartbeats like a mighty drum echoed in his mind, and seemed to be one of the only things he heard in his desperate state to catch up with Autumn. Finally, he crashed through the last of the bushes before speeding through the vine-covered entrance, just in time to see his target sprinting ahead of him. He was not very far now. Again forcing his body to give its all, Trey pushed forward, locking his eyes directly on Autumn.

With one, almost-supernatural leap, he landed in front of reddish-brown wolfos, his chest moving outwards and inwards in an impulsive attempt to regain oxygen. Autumn skidded to a halt when she saw it was her much hated enemy who had stopped her dead in her tracks. She recovered her composure before snarling and glaring at the offending keaton ahead of her. "Get out of my way!" She snapped aggressively, raking the dirt with her claws. It was at this point that Sandy finally caught up to the two, but did not intervene in the heavily-tensed scene, rather, stayed back on the sidelines, unsure of what to do.

"Before you start making hasty accusations," Panted out Trey, his gaze never leaving the ember-like eyes of Autumn, "Let me explain."

The she-wolfos spat on the ground with a dangerous hiss. "Why should I? There's nothing to explain. What you did was disgustingly wrong, and you must pay for your dire actions!"

"I have a legitimate reason! Hear me out!"

"No! As daughter of the alpha male, it is _my_ responsibility to uphold the laws my father has set!" She growled at the keaton, fur standing up on end. "If I were to pardon you or hear your worthless pleas, what sort of wolfos would I be?" Autumn's fangs gleamed in her ferocious snarl, growls emitting deep from her throat.

"Autumn, let Trey speak." Sandy interjected, raising her voice a little.

"You! Shut up!" Blaze's daughter barked harshly, snapping her head to the side where her friend stood, now also giving the polite wolfos one of her famous glares. "This business of ours is none of your concern!" The timid wolfos immediately withdrew at this cold-snap her friend made at her, and she backed away, tail limping on the ground apologetically.

Outraged at this treatment to Autumn's so thought "friend", Trey batted her head his paw, careful not to scratch her with his claws; scratching and clawing would only be used as a last resort, especially with the disaster with Fish behind him, it was better to try and keep things clean so that he could at least have _a little_ trust from the others. "Oi, that's no way to treat your friend!"

The reddish-brown wolfos snorted. "Be quiet! I don't need you to tell me how I can or cannot treat someone! Now get out of my way before I have to hurt you!"

Trey didn't reply, only growled and stood his ground, defying the egotistical she-wolfos' protests.

She tried stepping around him, but Trey did not allow her to, only moved in front of her path again. Autumn kept trying at this same tactic, and each time Trey would do the same action, preventing her from passing him. With an aggravated and infuriated yowl, the fiery wolfos charged at Trey, lashing out her claws in front of her. Completely unprepared for such a move, Trey had no time to dodge the attack and was knocked over onto the ground forcefully.

He pushed the she-wolfos off him with his back paws, using the time he gained from this move to rise from the ground. He snarled at Autumn, whose muscles were tensed and ready for a fight. A smirk played deviously along her lips, a plan formulating into her mind. She again sprang at her adversary, bowling the juvenile keaton over on the grass. She pounced off him, though, and pretended to continue to run to her daddy. Panicked and irrational, Trey sprung on the she-wolfos, this time it was he who was bowling over his enemy. Autumn spun around, giggling consciously with delight as Trey slowly fell into her trap. She swiped at him with her claws, watching with joy as she left scratches on one of his long ears.

Trey winced at the small jolt of pain from the cut, but still argued defiantly, trying not to get wrapped up in a fight, especially with the alpha male's daughter. "Autumn, calm down and listen to me! Just hear what I have to say before going to tell on me!"

"Coward! Fight back like a real wolfos! Stop trying to make peace, it won't work!" The she-wolfos snarled, ignoring Trey's objections. She wouldn't stop standing still for a moment, always stalking around the opposing keaton, trying to get past him to her father. Still, Trey persisted on, determined to make the unruly ginger wolfos listen.

The juvenile keaton was growing annoyed with the spastic movements of Autumn, and with a lost-willed grunt, he growled out, "For the love of Farore, stop moving and listen!" And in his aggravation, he swung one of his forepaws out towards Autumn, not intending his claws to hit the she-wolfos.

However, as much as he didn't _intend_ for it to happen, it did.

His claws came in contact with Autumn's muzzle, and before Trey had time to think, he had already left scratch marks on the alpha male's daughter's face. The ginger wolfos grinned rascally at her foe's bad mistake, as she cried out in a feigned, desperate tone, "Help, help! Daddy! Somebody! Help me! Trey's attacking me!"

As she screamed these words, Blaze came jogging through the Hideaway, Sandy leading the way. Apparently, when the two arguing juveniles were too busy fighting each other, the quiet Sandy had slipped away to find her leader. The muscular grey wolfos stopped at the scene, teeth barred aggressively. Trey took one look at the alpha and gulped hard, feeling suddenly very tiny. His eyes shot back to Autumn, who was now hiding behind her father, playing the part of misunderstood-victim perfectly. A hint of a self-satisfied smile was on her face, and she gleamed with determination at the awaiting fate for the keaton. A group had started to assemble around Blaze, Autumn, and Trey, and was steadily growing by the minute, all of them wondering what the excitement was about.

When the juvenile keaton took one glance at that serpent-like smug expression on Autumn's face, his mind clicked with understanding of what had just happened. His ears lowered straight down on his head, and he gritted his teeth together, glaring at the prissy wolfos like no tomorrow. "_Bitch_!" He screeched, frightening the surrounding wolfos for a moment. "Why do you get so much joy out of my pain? You wicked, cold-hearted…!" He attempted to lash out again at the she-wolfos, but nearby wolfos who had foreseen something like this happening, quickly stepped in front of the keaton, holding him back with all their strength. Some of the spectators in the crowd began to whisper and gasp with horror to what was happening, but the real show had not yet begun.

With one fluid motion, the hefty alpha male swiped his dagger-like claws at the keaton's forehead, his aim direct and true. Immediately it silenced Trey's irrational outbreaks. From the deep claw marks left from Blaze's action, a small trickle of sticky crimson blood had begun to seep down the keaton's forehead in between his glowering hazel eyes. "How _dare_ you attack my daughter," Spat the alpha male, his face darkening. He tried not to play favourites in the pack, but when it came to his own offspring, he had no choice but to get angrier than usual. "What is the meaning of this? Rash, despicable actions! Pah! How dishonourable to your pack!"

Trey tried to suppress a soft growl from his throat.

"Why, dare I ask, have you caused such harm to my daughter?"

Trey opened his mouth to speak, but Autumn beat him to it. "I was on my way to report news to you daddy, but Trey wouldn't let me! He jumped in front of my path and began to harass me!"

Murmurs spread through the throngs of surrounding wolfos, but were hushed down when they saw that their leader wanted to speak again. "What sort of news?" He questioned, his curiosity growing steadily stronger. He didn't bother to inquire Trey on how credible his daughter's words were; he believed that whatever the ginger wolfos was saying was one-hundred percent accurate.

One could almost hear the plummeting of Trey's heart as he realized what the alpha male's words meant. An unpleasant bile rose in his throat, his colour again draining. There was no avoiding the subject now.

Autumn's smirk grew in a wickedly gleeful manner. "Our dear keaton friend has been associating himself with Hylian cubs; I saw him playing with one with my own two eyes."

There was a terribly awkward pregnant pause that followed this, but once registered this statement in the wolfos' minds, their expressions drastically changed, especially the alpha male's. Grimaces and sneers grew rapidly, along with deep growls emitting from the throats of the pack, their sounds harmonizing together in a melody of anger and hate. Trey gulped, silently shifting his eyes around to the throng of surrounding wolfos' ears flattening in a rhythmic pattern with the rising of their neck hair.

The flickering ember eyes of Blaze ignited into a roaring forest-fire of an undying inferno. "Once a keaton, _always_ a keaton!" He bellowed, hefty muscles tensing and rippling under his grey fur. "Now I see where your _true_ loyalty lies, _keaton_. On that faithful day when White Foot brought you into this pack, she spoke of how you smelt of the Hylians! You must have been associating yourself with them like you did this cub! _That_ is why your pack wanted you out!" He snarled, jumping to hasty conclusions, but still gaining the trust of his followers. Blaze circled Trey, who stood firm on his paws, determined not to show the ferocious alpha his anxiety.

A part of the ring of wolfos was hastily pushed aside in a desperate attempt, as if someone was trying to manoeuvre through the heavily packed crowd. Trey and Blaze stopped and turned their heads, anxious to see who was feverishly trying their might to pass through. Soon, a light grey she-wolfos pressed forward into the circle where keaton and alpha male stood. "What is all this I hear about Trey and Hylian cubs now?" She demanded, her gaze flickering from Blaze to Trey. "Are the accusations true? Has Trey been socializing with Hylians?"

Blaze charged up to the keaton's adopted mother, sizing up with her, ears flattened tightly against his skull. "Yes, it is true! What did I tell you White Foot, on the day that you brought this half-dead _thing_ into the pack? 'If he turns traitorous, it'll be on your tail'! Remember? Trey has shown his true colours, and promises are promises, so now you'll pay for it!"

"Stop it, Blaze!" Trey roared, gaining attention of both adults. "It is not White Foot's fault…It's mine." He gulped, standing tall. "I will admit my actions, sir, and I realize what I have done is wrong, but I have a reason. You see, there was this boy—"

He was cut short by Blaze's infuriated growl, like the roar of a mountain lion. "I wish to hear none of it! Since you _have_ admitted your actions openly, I will _generously_ allow your 'mother' to remain unpunished, but as for _you_, serious consequences will arise."

Immediately Trey thought of seclusion, starvation, or something of the sort, but never did he expect Blizzard and Blaze to agree on the same punishment so hastily, nor so extreme:

"Leave this pack at once, and never return."

Murmurs and yowls of approval sprung up from some of the surrounding pack, while some, like Twiggy and Sandy, remained silent and shaky. Even Skunk looked slightly incredulous to the decision, but his expression hastily changed from surprised to smug. White Foot's clear, ice eyes were large and sorrowful, a powerful sense of dread and distress washing over her as she gazed upon her adopted son, who stood, wobbling slightly on his paws.

"Blaze sir, what of the Deku Scrubs? You said yourself not for a being to go alone in the woods while they roam." Sandy quietly piped up, gulping down a small sense of sadness, on Trey's part, herself.

"It will be Trey's problem." The alpha snapped back, eyes furious and unforgiving. "If he seeks help, he can surely call on his cub-friend, am I right?" Smirks and jeers followed the statement, but the keaton stood defiant, to make sure the others did not see his anxiety.

He knew there was no denying it. He could not argue against these ominous, foreboding words his former leader hissed, and so he nodded his head slowly, gulping down unpleasant bile in his throat. "So be it." He finally snapped back, eyes glowering at Blaze. He sadly, slowly, padded over to his adopted mother, and exchanged fond mother-and-son licks on their ears before Trey turned to the crowd, who was now parting for him.

The last walk out to the entrance felt like walking underwater, slow, steady, and tough. Yet, he had a relatively quick pace with him, and before the keaton knew it, he had reached the vines. Taking one last look upon the creatures he had grown up with, he sighed, turned tail, and disappeared through the hole.

Forever.

-oOoOo-

A light drizzle of late-summer rain was beginning to trickle down from the grey, ominous clouds above in the depressing-coloured sky the evening that Trey was banned from the pack. Shadow was out with Rocky when the trial had taken place in the Hideaway, so he was not informed of the gloomy news until he found his beloved mate huddled up in their den, sniffling in sorrow.

Even though they were not the same species, Trey and White Foot still shared the bond that mother and child both have. She had raised the keaton since he was a tiny, worriless pup, and watched as her adopted son progressed through stages of his life, experiencing new and different sites and smells, and trying out new incidents. She remembered the hunting expedition she and Trey had gone on, and the fateful encounter with the she-keaton.

Shadow understood this bond, for he too had something similar. He comforted his mate for a while before settling down and sleeping for a short period of time. He wanted to get a little bit of sleep before he would sneak out of camp.

Kaepora Gaebora had agreed to meet with him that evening to discuss matters concerning the Deku Scrubs. Their numbers had multiplied rapidly, at an alarmingly fast rate, and Shadow wanted to do some investigating. He couldn't stand back and watch as his pack shivered in anxiety and constantly looked over their shoulders in fear. Even Blaze was hesitant to go on the subject; he was troubled enough as it was. What the deep grey wolfos was doing was wrong, he knew, but he had to break the laws…Just this once for the safety of his pack. However, now aware of Trey's departure, Shadow also decided mentally that he was going to talk to his old friend about his troubles with his adopted son.

Late in the evening, around four-in-the-morning, Shadow forced himself to wake up from his deep sleep. He carefully stepped around his mate, who was snoozing peacefully next to him, her brow furrowed as if in a deep-thoughted dream. Into the cold night-time air he rushed on silent paws, aware of any obstacles he might come across; leaves, sticks, rocks, and whatnot. He needed to be as silent as a raven, as agile as a hare, and as crafty as a fox to achieve his goal without getting caught.

His dark pelt blended in perfectly with the darkness that surrounded him; his emerald eyes were the only things piercing the blackened surrounding. Swiftly and silently, Shadow made his way through thick foliage of the Lost Woods, arriving at his destination, which was not anything more than a small cliff. However, this ledge he sat upon did not look across a vast, empting landscape, but a simple wooden bridge connecting two logs together. Kaepora Gaebora once told him the Children of the Forest used that bridge, but not anymore, so it was safe to come to this area.

The deep grey wolfos stepped on a dried out leaf, a sharp crackling sound piercing the silence of the night around him. He gasped, suddenly tensing his muscles and readying himself for anything, although Shadow knew that it was he who stepped on the leaf, not a stalker from the pack. The fluttering of feathers against each other followed the sound that Shadow had ungracefully pulled off, and the wolfos knew instantly who it was.

"Kaepora…?" He asked hesitantly, not knowing if he should break the serene hush of the woods.

"Shadow? Is that you?" A familiar voice queried back, the fluttering of feathers again heard. When Shadow replied back, affirming the old owl's suspicions, he responded to his wolfos friend, "I'm glad that you have made it safely, old friend. I was worried for your wellbeing, considering the attacks the Lost Woods has been receiving lately."

Shadow bowed his head briefly, a smile spreading on his face from the consideration the sage had. "Thank you for your consideration, Kaepora Gaebora. I'm sorry we had to meet in such conditions, but because of the strict rules Blaze has set, I am no longer as free as I used to be. Besides, I needed to speak to you in private."

Kaepora Gaebora nodded. "Of course, I understand completely, toohoo."

"Have you seen any more activity among Deku Scrubs?" Shadow asked, getting to the point concisely.

The owl turned his head upside down, thinking. "Hmm…Only a little. They have spread out into some hidden regions in the Lost Woods, burying themselves in deep piles of leaves. The Sacred Meadow is entirely taken over, I'm afraid. The Scrubs have positioned themselves at every corner of the maze, and there is no way to avoid it."

Shadow cast his glowing emerald eyes down to the floor, gulping at the news. He released a slow, heavy sigh. "That is not good, not good at all. What if the Sage of Forest is driven back by the Deku Scrubs? How will she play her tunes that keep the forest alive and bountiful?"

"I see what you are talking about, Shadow. However your words aren't entirely true. Yes, the Deku Scrubs' _intentions_ are to do just that, but the Sage of Forest is crafty and skilful, and will find a way to play her song, toohoo."

Shadow faintly smiled. "That is good to know. Do you think we will rid the forest of these evil creatures, Kaepora Gaebora?"

The owl stirred a little. "…Depends," He finally said, "You might, you might not. It all depends on the faith your pack has; if it is humble enough to join up with other creatures who also wish for peace, you might just defeat these creatures. If the pack, however, does band together with another side—evil—terrible things might happen for creatures of the Woods." The wolfos Kaepora Gaebora was speaking to was silent, soaking up all information with intent hearing and serious mindset. The wise owl hesitated for a moment, but continued speaking,

"…Speaking of evil beings, Shadow," He started, gaining the focus of Shadow's brilliant emerald green eyes on him, "I have sensed a powerful force in the Woods." His expression darkened gravely, the owl's chocolate eyes hardening with solemnity. "This evil…being…I have picked up is not your average Deku Scrub or Deku Baba, mind you. It is horribly powerful, and carries lots of undying malevolent intentions with him. It has been an age since I felt such a power emitting from a sole creature. You must be wary, Shadow. This creature could be the downfall of the whole forest."

Shadow swallowed uncomfortable bile in his throat, getting pleasantly rewarded with a dry mouth afterwards. He found the courage to speak, but his knees shook a little, just by hearing this dark news. "This-this being you speak of, he is in the forest? At this moment?"

Kaepora nodded soberly. "Yes. He has been prowling the woods since yesterday, feasting off of creatures' fears. I do not know much more about him, but what I_ can_ tell you is that he is a creature not to be tampered with or trusted. He is a deceiver, and will brainwash anyone who is weak of mind and spirit."

"I…I need to tell Blaze this, immediately!" Shadow sprang to his paws, knees still quivering. "But, I am not sure of how he will believe me…I cannot say that I have gone to see you, for he will know that I had disobeyed him."

"Tell him that you saw a vision in a dream. Lying is not the way to go, I realize this, but your safety is far too important at this moment to think about such things. You must try and convince him as much as possible, dear friend. If Evil reaches his heart before you do…I'm afraid I cannot do much more to help you."

The dark grey wolfos shook himself, ridding the small amount of water that had collected on his soft fur. "I will try with all my heart, Kaepora Gaebora. That I promise to you." He turned tail, ready to sprint away, but stopped suddenly as a thought burst into his mind. "Wait! Kaepora, my son…Trey, remember?" The owl nodded slowly, unsure of where this was going. "Blaze exiled him from the pack. If the Evil prowls through the Lost Woods, and my son is out there in the wild, I fear for his safety. Please, would you try and keep an eye on him?"

The owl blinked twice, astonished. "Uh, yes. Yes of course! I will scan every acre in search for your son, rest assured."

Shadow's eyes gleamed thankfully. "Thank you greatly, old friend, thank you. I hate to be impolite, but I must make haste before the sun reaches the tops of the trees, lest that I be discovered missing."

The sage flew from his perch. "Do not apologize to me for such things; you are an old friend, and I sympathize with your plights. Good-bye, Shadow!" And with that, the owl took off into the air, feathers tailing down behind him as he rose higher and higher into the sky. Shadow had bounded off before the feathers could reach the semi-moist ground.

He did not realize he had been out so long, consequently, he sped up his pace faster and faster, determined to reach the Hideaway before Blaze awoke. As he ran, trees and bushes, among other foliage of the forest, whizzed by Shadow in blurs of greens, their importance not significant to him at this time. He burst through a clump of bushes, emerging in the clearing where the vine-covered entrance was located. Panting lightly, he looked upwards at the skies, sighing consciously with relief when he saw the sun only starting to peek out behind the tops of the gargantuan trees. He was about to start off again, this time towards the entrance, but stopped suddenly when he heard the crunching of leaves in front of him, at the other end of the clearing.

Muscles taught and ready, Shadow watched with narrowed emerald eyes as a figure emerged from the bushes. He relaxed again when he saw that this creature was no other than his adopted son, Trey. His brain clicked into recognition when he finally registered this, and immediately Shadow rushed forward, muddled emotions bubbling in his mind.

"Trey!" He hissed lightly, reaching the keaton. Instantly, like any worried father, he barraged his son with countless questions. "How are you? What are you doing here? Are you okay? What happened? Something wrong? Do you need to tell me something? Why did you come back? Did you see anything strange in the Woods? Are you frightened? Sick? Hungry?"

Trey blinked a couple of times, registering these badgering questions for a moment, slowly processing them into his mind. Finally, he replied with knowing, "Oh! Dad, I needed to come back to the Hideaway; there's something I need to tell Blaze!"

"What is it, champ?"

"There's a…wolfos…in the woods! He was coming right this way!" Trey looked over his shoulder briefly, paranoid that something was watching him with a locked, watchful gaze. He shivered a little. "Dad, I've never seen a wolfos that huge! He was colossal, larger than Blaze, I swear! I was lying down when I heard the ground rumble a little. I looked up, and sure enough, there was this monstrous wolfos approaching me! I quickly ducked behind some ferns, and luckily he didn't see me, but he was headed straight for the Hideaway! There was some-something about him, dad, something that was…off. The look in his eyes…Determined, angry, fiery. What do you think he wants?"

Shadow's face had paled as his son told his tale, the talk from Kaepora Gaebora lingering in his mind threateningly. "Come on, follow me. We're going inside the Hideaway. I don't want you out while that…thing lurks, understood?"

"But…I'm not supposed to _be_ here! What if I get caught? I came back to see if I could tell you, and pass the news along. If I go inside, surely I'll be seen!"

Trey's father hesitated. "Go hide in nearby bushes. Don't you dare make a sound and everything will be alright." Without even waiting for a response from Trey, Shadow briskly spun around, nervousness pounding through his heart, although he remained calm as possible, trying his best to stand up in the face of danger.

Trey ducked behind a nearby bush and pile of leaves as he and his father entered the clearing, just like Shadow had instructed. Wolfos were just now beginning to wake from their slumber, and slowly emerged from their dens, ready to start a new day. The keaton spotted Twiggy and Sandy among these wolfos, who had now seen each other and were making their way over to speak to each other.

The great and looming figure of Blaze was the next creature to be seen peeking out of his den. He yawned like a lazy lion, stretching his limbs as he drowsily hopped out of his den. Shadow instantly jogged over to him, determination plastered on his features. The lighter grey of the two wolfos, Blaze, looked up with still-awaking eyes as his guard came trotting over to meet him. Surprisingly, the hard-hearted alpha male did not growl or grimace at the sight of Shadow, instead, smiled with pure happiness. Baffled, Shadow sat in front of the alpha male, unsure of what to do. "Good morning, Shadow!" Boomed Blaze heartily, laughter in his tone. "Ah, what a lovely, light autumn rain we received last night, no?"

Shadow found his tongue after a few puzzling moments of registering this into his mind. "Buh, uh…S-sir? Might I ask what you are so…happy about?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" The light grey male questioned, eyes widening in shock. "Why, we're having a visitor today! He's travelled all across Hyrule to come and talk with me! Apparently, rumour has it he's one of the toughest wolfos around! Maybe he'll come and fight the Deku Scrubs and help us rid of them of the forest! Wouldn't that be superb?"

"I, uh, suppose, sir."

"Ah, buck up now! Formalities are nonexistent today, my friend! This is supposed to be a happy occasion! Today might be the day of the start of liberation!" He laughed heartily again, making Shadow glance around nervously. This…jubilant Blaze was scarier than the normal Blaze. "So what did you need?"

The time had come for Shadow to make a stand. He focused his attention on his leader, and, inhaling and exhaling a deep breath, said, "Sir, I've been having dreams lately of an Evil creature in the woods. His power is far from what we're seen represented by Deku Babas or Scrubs, but something more mighty and malicious. He wishes not good deeds on the forest, but horrible, wicked ones. We must keep an eye out at all times; we never know when something unexpected will happen."

Blaze was silent for a moment, pondering this. "These are not but _dreams_, Shadow! They are only figments of your imagination portrayed to seem like real occurrences while you sleep. There is no evil present except for the Deku Scrubs who have made their homes here."

Shadow was about to protest, but Blaze interrupted him. "Ah! Look Shadow, look! Our guest has arrived!" The alpha male sprang to his paws, his tail sweeping side to side like an excited pup on his first hunt. Shadow, gulping, looked over his shoulder to see this guest, and gasped lightly when he saw him.

Huge, bulky muscles were clearly conspicuous and bulged out from underneath his thick, light brown-copper pelt. As Trey looked more closely at the intimidating being, his stomach flipped in realization that his colourings on his pelt looked dangerously similar to the colouring of the serpent he had fought yesterday. This wolfos was indeed a colossal giant, as Trey had described, and stood an immensely tall height as he walked with his large, proud strides. Each time one of his mammoth paws hit the ground, the earth would quake a little under his paw-steps, making wolfos nearby jump a little at the vibrations. A clever smirk was slyly growing on his face, and his auburn eyes gleamed with authority. He grinned at Blaze as the two males met together, one smile that showed two rows of perfect, knife-like fangs in his immense jaw.

There was a brief moment of silence. "Greetings, Blaze," His deep voice boomed, the drumming tenor notes echoing off of the walls of the Hideaway, riveting off in ripples of sound into the trees. He ducked his head briefly, as did Blaze in return. This visitor stood a head taller than the alpha male, and Blaze had to recline his head back slightly to see the piercing auburn eyes of his guest.

"Good morning," The alpha male greeted back, smiling from ear to ear. "I am glad you have made it safely to our humble abode. Tell me, was your trip a good one? No hindrances, I hope?"

"Ah, not at all, not at all. It was a very satisfactory journey, and I have enjoyed the scenery of the forest rather than the dull, bleak landscapes of the West."

They shared a brief laugh. "Wonderful, wonderful! Come, come, let us discuss business matters closer to my den; we do not want others overhearing us, correct?"

"Indeed. But, who is this?" The giant of a wolfos inquired, nodding to Shadow, who had just begun to rise from his spot.

"Oh, him? This is my top guard, Shadow!" Blaze responded, grinning at said Shadow who just merely nodded anxiously in the face of this menacing creature.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Shadow," The copper-brown wolfos greeted chivalrously, ducking his head down momentarily. "You may call me Boar."

Shadow did the same, still a little apprehensive of this somewhat odd behaviour. "Um, hello…Boar."

"Shall we talk of those pesky Deku Scrubs now, Alpha Blaze?" Boar turned his gaze back to his friend.

Blaze nodded as he walked towards his den, Boar at his heels. "Yes, there is much to talk about and so little time."

-oOoOo-

Shadow paced around Blaze's den for the umpteenth time that hour. Boar and Blaze had been talking non-stop, but the guard couldn't hear a word of it. Blizzard guarded the den entrance and made sure no one wolfos overheard the two males' conversation. It was a matter of power and command; a conversation that was no doubt a very private one. Finally Blizzard stepped aside, and out strutted Blaze, Boar at his heels. Boar, Blaze, and Blizzard sat together in a straight line, eyes hardened and faces solemn, except for Blaze who still had that ridiculous smile on his face.

"Attention all wolfos!" Blaze trumpeted, silencing all activity. All members of the pack instantly stopped what they were doing and jogged over to their leader, murmuring about who the 'new guy' was in the middle of the two alphas. "We have an important announcement! Boar here is going to stay in the pack for some time. He comes from a pack in the West where they only _live_ to kill and fight wrongdoers! He's willingly volunteered to help us fight the Deku Scrubs!"

Instantly, cheers and roars of approval shot up from the crowd, excited to hear the news. Their fears were dying down, and just by looking at this wolfos from the West, they could tell it was no lie that he was bred only for killing. "However, he does request that he follow his exact orders, and do as he says," Blaze continued, hushing the crowd. The surrounding wolfos nodded slowly, murmuring on how they understood clearly. "We will also breed an army under his command, so that in future time when despair haunts the woods, we'll be able to defend ourselves. Boar requests that every male in a healthy, fighting age must join his army. The stronger we are, the less time it will take to rid Deku Scrubs. Lastly, we must pay Boar for his services by giving him portions of our dinner everyday. This meat will be transferred to his pack by designated messengers."

Shadow stood on the sidelines, disbelieving the news. Although while the idea of ridding the scrubs from the forest was an excellent idea, some of the commands Boar was already issuing seemed a bit fishy. The wolfos seemed to buy it though, and talk about how great an idea it was. They only cared about the evil creatures being taken care of, nothing more. The deep grey wolfos watched intently as Boar leaned over and whispered something in the ear of his leader, feeding words into his mouth. Shadow furrowed his brow, now determined that something odd was unveiling. Gulping, he decided to stand up for what he believed in.

"I object to these proposals!" He exclaimed, rising onto his paws. The throng of wolfos turned to him, and the alphas narrowed their eyes at Trey's adopted father, wondering what he had to say. "How is that we must obey Boar, some stray wolfos foreign to our pack and our customs, and not Blaze? Is Blaze not the ultimate decision in this pack? So then why must we do as _Boar_ says and not Blaze? What is this idea of sharing our food with his pack, too? Can Boar's pack not hunt for themselves? After all, they were bred to hunt. We are not their scavengers!"

Boar stood up slowly, grinding his teeth together. "It is wolfos like you who spoil the whole pack," His deep growl rumbled like an earthquake in the Hideaway. "My clan has suffered many a draught and has lost prey. We need food, unlike wolfos like _you_ who get plump and lazy!"

"There's barely enough prey in this forest to suffice our hunger! What makes you think they'll be enough for _two_ packs?"

Boar menacingly stormed up to Trey's father, sizing him up. "If you do not like my laws, why don't you leave? They'll be plenty of _keatons_ to take you in." He spat, hair rising on his back. As he said this though, his eyes drifted to the corner bush where Trey still crouched in, silent and stealthy.

"'_Your_ laws'?" Shadow repeated, "Since when was this _your_ pack? Blaze, can you not see this peculiar behaviour Boar is exhibiting? He acts as if he is the alpha male, while _you_ are the ultimate authority, not him!"

"Be quiet, Shadow!" Blaze hissed, his smile disappearing. "It seems as if you do not _want_ the greatest good for your pack! Just like your _son_." Growls and roars erupted at this, all wolfos remembering the fowl acts Trey had done.

Shadow paled a little. "I-I am not saying I do not care for my pack! I have grown up with everyone here, and this community is ultimately my greatest love. Do not speak like I would not want to bring happiness to my fellow wolfos!"

"He lies!" Boar snapped, sharply turning his head to Blaze. "He only wants Darkness to take over the forest! He cares not for the welfare of your pack!"

Through the trumpeting growls and barks the wolfos pack bellowed, Blaze sat tight, gears in his head churning. "What do you suggest we do with him?"

"In my clan, traitors and the defiant are not overheard! We will either torment them or kill them on the spot! We know of no 'exile' that you perform in this pack." He barked, a smug grin trying its best to twist on Boar's features, but he held it back with some effort. "I say we kill him! Bad eggs like this one will never come out right!"

"You shall do no such thing!" Trey could take no more of this and he leapt out from his hiding spot, ears pressed flat against his skull, eyes gleaming in the morning light. Gasps and shocked whisperings spread in the pack at the sight of the keaton, who was dirty and muddy from all the running and hiding he did in the forest.

Before the keaton could protest though, Blaze snapped right to attention, calling out a, "He has returned! This time, he shall be shown no mercy from me! Skunk, kill him at once!"

The Hunting Party Captain at once leapt at his leader's command. "With pleasure, sir!" He howled, giving Trey some time to bolt away as Fish and two other aggressive males joined in with the hunt.

They sped out of the Hideaway with a breakneck speed, whooshing past all obstacles and objects in the woods. Trey could hear their hammering paw-steps behind him as they raced faster and faster, hearts pounding rapidly in unison, passionate determination flashing like flames of a fire in their eyes. They snapped their jaws at Trey's long, golden tails, but missed by only a hair.

Zigzagging through the mazes of the deepened woods, the hunt continued. The keaton was losing strength and endurance to keep up this god-like speed, but he pushed himself onwards and onwards, pressuring himself that if he did not win the race of life, he would get killed.

Thankfully, a familiar log came into view, and sprinting forward, Trey led his hunters through its dark, abyss-like depths, and into the Kokiri Village. However, the wolfos were so bloodthirsty and one-track-minded at this point to notice this. The keaton raced faster, his feet flying off the ground in an impeccable movement of agility when he saw another log up ahead. He zoomed through it, and over the deserted bridge he had often seen on treks in the woods, the four ravaging wolfos snapping and snapping their powerful jaws at him all the while. As they all entered yet another log, they made it through to the outside world; Hyrule.

The wolfos skidded to a halt, panting ravenously at oxygen, their lungs deprived of it from their immense race through the Lost Woods. Groaning and growling in frustration, they watched with the same tightened expression as their prey descended over the crest of the first hill of Hyrule Field, until he was nothing more than a tiny dot.

Skunk growled like a mountain lion, deep and ferocious, in his throat as his eyes narrowed into nothing more than tiny slits. "Feh. Don't even bother chasing after the poor thing, boys. It'll just die anyway."

And tentative because of their loss, the four males turned tail, sulking from the failure of their much-enjoyed thought of a fresh slaughtering, especially one of a keaton.

The same thoughts churned in their minds though, and they smirked wickedly with delighted satisfaction at it: If the lack of prey won't get him, the Hylians will.

-oO **T.B.C **Oo-


	10. Long Lost but Now Found

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.  
Identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera are all figments of my imagination.

**Author's Notes:** Ahem. Greetings once again. As you might have noticed, I have been gone for the past, let's see, ten months or so? Yes, that sounds accurate. Well, I'm here to apologize again for the major delay. As I state so many times before, writing is just a side-hobby of mine, one that I cannot always do whenever I wish. I have priorites that come before pleasure, so I have to take care of such matters before going back to the recreational stuff. The past ten months have been especially hectic, as you can clearly see from the lack of updates in the story.

But moving on, I'm going to really try to squeeze in as much writing as I can manage, and hopefully another elongated pause like this will never occur again. In this chapter, I just want to make it clear that Malon's cat I added in a while ago—Lady—is fictional as well, but I will not be doing anything with her in later chapters, unlike what I had planned before. She is merely here now to evoke some sort of concern (from Malon), and to remind Link of times long ago.

-oOoOo-

**Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing  
****-  
****Chapter Ten: Long Lost but Now Found**

-oOoOo-

Night grew onwards that day when Trey ran from the woods; its arrival steady and silent. Link stood by the entrance to the Lost Woods, watching the sky with quivering blue eyes. Hues of purples and deep navy blues streaked the darkening sky, colouring the land underneath it in tints of deep violets. The Kokiri boy turned his attention back to the log though, fiddling with his hands nervously as he did so. The rush and spontaneous panic that Hazel had shown yesterday had worried the ten-year-old, and he shifted nervously that previous night in his sleep, frazzled by the ignorance of the keaton's whereabouts lingering, like an annoying insect, in his mind. The expression of horror written across Hazel's features was also pictured vividly in his thoughts, which made Link concerned even more. Why did his friend drag him away from the forest so readily? Those wolfos…Were they connected to it? Did Hazel want him to be safe, or was there some other reason…?

"Hazel?" Link called out into the tunnel for the umpteenth time in the past hour or two. He had been off playing with one of his newer Kokiri friends, Heidi, when his keen ears picked up a scrambling, rustling noise coming from the Lost Woods. Hopeful, he instantly thought of the keaton bounding out with his tails wagging, as if to tell him that everything was okay and fine. When he went to investigate though, there was not a trace that a keaton, or any animal, had been there. Still, he called for his friend, his stomach twisting in perplexing knots of anxiety. "Hazel? Hazel! Hazel!" He wanted to go into the Lost Woods so badly at the moment, but Saria had advised him to stay away from the woods at night, as ferocious nocturnal creatures often liked to come out from their dens.

Link's face fell upsettingly, his shoulders drooped a little, and although he felt like there was no hope, he kept on calling out into the tunnel. However, as he was going to yell his friend's name again, a soft, gentle hand came down on one of his shoulders. Link turned his head, slightly startled at being awakened from his dazed state. Saria's large, compassionate, emerald eyes stared at her friend with overflowing sympathy. "Link, it's time to come home," She started, gently, "It's getting dark, and we all need to go to bed soon. I'm sure Hazel will be alright."

Link darted his azure pupils from Saria to the tunnel, then back at her. "I'm just…worried," He mumbled out honestly, "Worried that something bad has happened to him."

Saria wanted to say _something_, but anything her mind came up with didn't sound right in the context of Link's anxious words. Finally, she smiled faintly with a, "We'll look for him in the morning. I promise."

Link couldn't help but smile slightly at Saria's reassuring words. "Okay." He said simply, watching as his green-haired friend turned slowly around, ready to leave for home. Link took one last long, thoughtful look at the tunnel, then heaving a heavy sigh, followed Saria back to the Village. He fidgeted absently with his hands again, thinking ahead of the next morning and how he and Saria would find Hazel in the woods, safe and unharmed.

There was a slight flaw in his plan that came to him that very next morning, however:

Her name was Navi.

-oOoOo-

The harsh, metallic clang from the closing wrought iron gates echoed throughout the ranch, and Malon, who stood behind the barred gates, gasped in horror as Ingo did this.

With a serpent-like sneer spreading on his thin lips, Ingo crossed his arms and narrowed his beady eyes at a teenaged boy clothed in green. He chuckled sarcastically under his breath for a moment, his eyes never leaving the blonde boy. "Heh. So, you think you can beat _me_, eh? Well, we'll just see about that. Looks like you'll have to spend the rest of your days _here_—trapped!" He laughed, delighted in his actions and the sinister thoughts of confining this boy in the corral for the rest of his life.

Malon dashed to the gate and clutched the bars desperately, as if she were trying to break into the corral. "No! Ingo, no! How can you? How can you do such a terrible thing! Let him go!" She begged, hands grasping at the bars tighter.

Ingo paid no heed to her as he watched the young man before him shrug off his pack and fling it to the side of the barn. His blue eyes were narrowed too, locking in with Ingo's pupils. A small, sly smirk grew on his features as he hopped on a huge mare, one that he had raced Ingo with, easily, as if he had been riding horses for years. He murmured something under his breath and the horse trotted backwards slowly. Ingo watched with a growing sense of dread at this; that kid looked serious, and by the way he was handling the horse, he seemed to know what he was doing. Brown leather boots kicked at the chestnut sides of the mare, and away the two sped forwards, the horse rapidly gaining speed as it went forth.

The red-haired girl behind the gate almost covered her eyes in sheer anxiety and fear as the rider and his horse galloped to the tall gates. However, she looked on with huge azure eyes, which widened in complete and utter amazement as the duo landed perfectly on the other side of the fence, as if this stunt were nothing new. Ingo had a similar expression of his own; his eyes were round and wild in disbelief and if it were possible, his jaw would have dropped to the ground. His hands shook violently as he clasped them together in rage, and his face turned tomato red as he screamed in pure fury.

"How is this possible?" He cried, spitting his words out in wholesome anger. "That—that isn't possible! It can't be true! It's—It's—"

"—A miracle!" exclaimed an overjoyed Malon. She ran from the gate to her saviour, who sat almost proudly on his new horse. Ingo snapped open the gates and stormed up to where the three of them stood, growling deep in his throat, and his thick, caterpillar eyebrows arched and furrowed.

However, when he saw the competent expressions of bravery and confidence on the teens' faces, Ingo backed down, now feeling outnumbered. He was not the harsh bully that many had seen when he was alone with another person, while in the presence of a group of people. With this boy, who had seemingly come out of nowhere, and his sharp ingenuity, Ingo could not help but be frightened all the more; even Malon's aurora had suddenly become more intimidating when in the company of this mysterious young man.

"So, whaddya want then?" Spat Ingo, who still tried to keep his menacing front against the allied group before him. "As a prize fer winnin', I mean. An' I'm not talkin' 'bout th' horse; keep th' damn animal, see if I care."

The rider paused for a moment, pondering over what he should request. Finally, he smiled and looked down at the corrupted ranch hand with a simple declaration: "The Lon Lon Ranch." Malon couldn't help but utter a small gasp of excitement at this statement as she watched Ingo with wary eyes. "You will hand over the Lon Lon Ranch to the rightful owner—Malon."

Ingo grew instantly angry at this demand, his stubborn, greedy attitude challenging the young man in Lincoln green. The ranch was given to him by Lord Ganondorf many years back, when the throne of Hyrule was seized from Princess Zelda; Ingo wasn't entirely willing to give up his valuable piece of land because some boy told him to. He was about to shoot back a retort when his eyes drifted to the sword strapped across the teen's back, something that he had not spotted before, and unconsciously touched his throat while gulping. If the boy on Epona was an expert at horse-riding, his expertise with a sword like that must be unmatched. The moustached man grunted softly in defeat after still trying—and failing—to put up the feeling of superiority and strength. "Fine." He growled deeply, "She can take back th' farm; it wasn't that _great_ anyway."

The red-haired girl immediately took this opportunity and ordered Ingo to get to work, like he had done before in the past. She turned to the boy, who was dismounting his mare, when Ingo had grudgingly made his way to the barn, sulking and muttering something about how Lord Ganondorf would have his hide. "Link," She murmured, looking up at his smiling face. "I know 'thank you' isn't sufficient for all the help you've given me, but it is all I have to offer you." She smiled softly. "It's been so long…I missed you."

Link flashed a lopsided, sheepish grin at his old friend. "Seven years, to be exact." He chuckled nervously, knowing that his absence had been far too long.

Malon's eyes widened. "Seven years? Has it really been that long?" Link's embarrassed smile grew, and he shifted awkwardly, averting his eyes away from Malon briefly. "What—What on _earth _were you doing for seven years?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." The blonde answered truthfully, returning his gaze back to Malon. "And besides, it's a long tale, and I doubt you'd have time to hear it all."

The ranch girl stood akimbo, her small smile gradually growing. After a moment of pause, she said, "Well, I'm interested in your story, and I have time, now that Ingo's back to normal." She thrust a thumb behind her, indicating towards the barn where Ingo had gone into. "Come on, I'll get some tea brewing and you can talk to me all about you're adventures."

-oOoOo-

The inside of the farmhouse was nice and cosy, the first time in seven years. It was almost as if the Lon Lon Ranch's liberation from the tyrannical reign of Ingo had brightened up everything. Even though it was late summer, a small crackling fire in the fireplace roared, the orange-red light from the flames flickering on the floors and walls rhythmically. It added some atmosphere to the home, and invited warm, pleasant feelings instead of the cold, icy impression Ingo had left during his control of the ranch. Outside, the sun was slowly beginning to set, and the air became crisper and cooler, so the fire was well-appreciated. Rustic wooden furniture was seated around the room, accordingly so that the fireplace would be the ultimate centrepiece when one would want to sit and chat.

Link and Malon had been talking since that afternoon, conversing about everything they had missed since their elongated time apart. Malon had been listening intently to Link's tale about his adventures; everything from the parasite in the Deku Tree to the Forest Temple, which he had just recently completed. It was risky to talk about such topics, especially when things were not as safe in Hyrule anymore, but Link felt that his childhood friend be informed of what was happening.

As they talked, a soft, almost inaudible, padding of paws against the wooden floors were heard, and Malon inclined her head to the side, wanting to see who it was. A small cat was making her way to the two Hylians, tail erect in the air as she walked. Her fur was glossy and beautiful, a strikingly radiant silver colour. Her underbelly bulged out, and it was clear that she was going to have a litter of kittens soon. Link noticed this creature too and searched his mind for some distant memory relating to the animal. With a meow from the cat, Malon picked her up and put the pet in her lap.

As Link watched Malon stroke the cat behind the ears, he asked, "Who's that? She looks familiar." It was an absent, passive question in the midst of his earlier conversation, but he couldn't help but wonder who this was. He was discouraged by the fact that he had missed out on seven years in Hyrule, and wanted to regain all the information he lost during his sleep.

"This is Lady, my cat, remember? She was only a kitten when we were younger; we used to play with her by the barn."

Remembrance hit Link and he smiled, reaching out his hand to pet the now-familiar cat. "Oh yes," He grinned, the memories of playing with Malon and the ranch animals now becoming less hazy. That was also the time when he saw Malon for the last time—the time where he had learned Epona's Song. "She certainly has changed a lot since I last saw her."

Malon smiled proudly at her cat. And when Link knew she was going to say no more about this topic, changed the subject. "Has everything been alright on the ranch? Besides Ingo being in control and your father kicked out..." he trailed off.

Malon thought, racking her brain for any problems that had occurred. There _was_ something, she just couldn't put her finger on it. Her mind suddenly clicked, and she realized with slight fear at what had been troubling her for the past years. "Yes," She murmured, worry tainting her tone as she looked up at Link with concerned blue eyes. "There's something." She took in a breath and released it slowly, sorting out her thoughts before speaking. "For the past few years, there's a strange animal lurking around the ranch. I don't rightly know what it is, though. I've never actually seen it, but I do know it's hungry. Countless of times I've been missing my cuccos, and once I even saw a cow with bite marks and claw marks—thankfully alive. I haven't been putting out Lady in fear that she might get attacked as well." Lady meowed pitifully, snuggling into Malon's lap, as if fearing this mystery creature herself. "I don't even want to put the horses out anymore. It's really frightening to think that such an animal is around these parts."

Link shifted in his seat. "What do you think it is?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say wolfos, most likely. I heard that Ganondorf doesn't feed them, so they're always hungry and bloodthirsty."

"What about a fox? Foxes are well known for eating cuccos."

Malon shook her head. "That would be a possibility, except I doubt that a fox would attempt to attack a cow. It's got to be bigger and fiercer than a fox, I reckon."

"I'll look into it, Malon. I'll see what I can do." The blonde knew that Lady and the rest of the animals on the Lon Lon ranch were important to his friend, and he smiled, so that Malon was calmed slightly at these reassuring words. Hopefully Link would find the culprit of the cucco deaths. Even though she hated the thought of another creature being killed, the fact that her livestock's lives were at stake, not to mention the stability of the ranch's business.

The front door slammed open jerkily and unexpectedly, making the two friends, and Lady, jump in their skin. They turned to see Ingo, rich clothes soiled by the dirt and grime in the barn, storm into the house, brow furrowed and jaw clenched tightly. "Cleaned up th' barn." He grunted concisely, heading up the stairs to wash up.

"Did you put away the cuccos, Ingo?" Malon called, the thought of her precious cuccos being eaten lingering in her mind.

Ingo snorted, rolling his eyes. "Tch. No. Not my problem."

At this, Malon pulled Lady off her lap, handed her to Link, and sat up, racing towards the door. A bewildered Link sat Lady down on the floor, and hurried after Malon, who was now slipping on her boots. Link did the same, calling after her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm worried about the cuccos." She yelled back, jogging towards the feathered animals. Link stood a ways off, running a hand through his bangs, nervously watching the cuccos with wary eyes. They never seemed to like him, and he didn't want to take any chances around the high-strung fowl. As he watched Malon run around, collecting and shooing the cuccos away into the barn, Link remembered that he had left his rucksack by the barn earlier that day. Hurriedly strapping his quiver, which Link had left by the door that afternoon, over his shoulder, he headed out into the night; one could never be too precautious in the dark, especially when a fowl thief lurked in the shadows of the ranch.

He squinted through the dark atmosphere, wishing now with a groan that he had brought a torch or a lantern to light the way. He should've known that night was approaching speedily, but he had been too worried about Malon and her cuccos to think about such things. He felt his way along the wall of the barn, knowing that his pack was thrown off into a corner. He stopped short though when a looming silhouette crossed in front of him. He drew in his breath, trying to remain quiet. The creature bounded off in the direction he was heading, and he silently followed it, wondering what it was, or what it was doing.

Something, cloth-like and loose, rustled ahead of him, and Link had lost the shadow he had been pursuing. But now this strange sound had captured his interest, and it too seemed to be in the direction of his pack. His neck became hot in anxiety as he continued his trek along the side of the barn. As he crept closer to the sound, he drew his bow and notched an arrow in it, just for safety precautions. Silently, he kept stalking along the walls; the only sounds audible to him at the time were the rustlings and his soft footsteps on the grass. A dim light appeared around the corner of the barn, where he had came from, and he turned swiftly around, seeing Malon scurry towards him, lantern dangling ahead of her. When she caught up with Link, she was about to talk to him when he signalled for her to be quiet and still. "There's some creature here," He whispered, trying not to disturb the stillness of the night. "It might be the wolfos that's been eating your livestock." Malon nodded slowly, watching as Link turned around and continued to head towards the rustling.

The mystery silhouette was in the corner of the barn, back to Link, and he again held his breath, gripping to the bow harder, preparing himself to defend himself if attacked. Faintly, he could see his limp pack lying on the ground, but the contour of the animal was in front of it, moving its head around inside the bag. Link gritted his teeth, advancing on it slowly.

He pulled back on the string of the bow, ready to shoot, when the outlined creature stopped scavenging through his bag and poised its head upright, long ears erect and alert. It turned around slowly, and Link drew the string back even farther, closing one eye for aim. However, as this animal turned around, the shadow of the animal's tails could be seen waving about, making Link's heart just about stop.

There were three tails.

"What...?" He asked no one in particular, his brow furrowing. Malon heard him speak and came trotting over behind him slowly, silently, lantern still glowing, giving the blonde some light to see. The orange-red glow of the candle in the lantern gave just enough light to see the figure, and Link instantly lowered his weapon at the sight of him.

This three-tailed creature before the Hylians was a skinny, lean, and unkempt tangle of grimy gold fur. He growled in the presence of the two unwanted Hylians, his off-white teeth glowing slightly in the faint light. Bones protruded through his skin, allowing all to see his fine rows of ribs, and it was clear that he had been scantily fed for the longest of times. His hunches were in the air, and even though he did not look like a tough competitor, he certainly had an undying spirit that could never be quenched. As Link set the bow down on the ground and began to cautiously approach the animal, Malon gasped in worry, taking a step back.

"L-Link…I don't think you should get near it," she stuttered, warily trying to avoid the tense animal.

"No, it's alright; I know this keaton."

"You…know him?" Malon whispered, her cautious eyes glancing at the growling, spitting animal with a heavy anxiety.

Link didn't respond, only proceeded to walk towards the keaton, slowly and cautiously, with one palm outwards towards the animal, trying to show it that he was friend, not foe. As the hand inched towards the tensed keaton, the growls deepened and rumbled loudly, trying to warn the Hylian to stand back. However, Link was still trying to coax the creature into remembrance; if, that was, this was the keaton he once knew. With a mighty snap of his jaws, the keaton lashed out against the harmless proposition of peace, missing Link's hand as the Hylian reeled it back.

As Link gazed into the fearsome chocolate eyes of the keaton, he was almost positive that this was the friendly keaton he encountered so long ago in the Lost Woods. "Hazel," He began, gently at first, but put more power behind his words when he saw that the keaton was not responding. "Hazel," he repeated, "Hazel, don't you remember me? Link?"

Malon put a hand gingerly on her friend's shoulder, to try and get him to back down, as the keaton was still growling intensely at the two Hylians, claws raking the dirt before him. Link merely shrugged the hand off, knowing what he was doing. "We met in the Lost Woods. I ran away from the Kokiri Village because Mido was picking on me, and you found and comforted me. Remember?" The snarl started to lessen a little, as if things were starting to slowly fall into place in the keaton's mind. However, his muscles remained tensed and fur flared, opposing the attempts this somewhat…familiar Hylian tried. "And then Mido and his gang came…How you defended me…Saria came…" Link continued on, pressing harder and harder with the memories of his childhood, trying to make the keaton understand. The animal's mind reeled overtime, distant recollections of a past that seemed like a dream colliding all together at a furious pace. What this Hylian was saying…It sounded so familiar, yet so foreign. It was a puzzle, a puzzle that was missing many pieces.

"…But you loved my hat," Link was still talking. "You used to rip it off of my head and run around with it, and it always cheered me up." Smiling, because of all the nostalgic memories that didn't quite feel like they were from so long ago, Link took off his signature green cap and set it down in front of him. He kneeled, so he was eye-to-eye with the keaton, and grinned.

The menacing front the sickly-looking keaton put up slowly died as he took a glance at the hat. It was forest green, long and floppy, and smelt like the woods, but only vaguely. Memories, tangled in the dense cobwebs of the animal's mind, suddenly rushed together, and filled the cracks that were missing in his subconscious. For seven years he had put off these memories, afraid to look back on all the good, and bad, times he had spent in the Lost Woods with his wolfos pack. The hat, a symbol of some of the most joyous times he spent playing with Link, unlocked those stored memories, from the first time he met White Foot, to the tragic exile from the Lost Woods.

Link seemed to notice this sudden reform in the keaton's behaviour, and he grinned wider, then slowly proceeded to pat his newly acquainted friend on the head, like old times. Fur flattening and muscles easing, Trey finally understood who this creature was: Link, the strange "Hylian-cub" he stumbled upon in the woods. Suddenly overjoyed and excited to see his truest friend's return, Trey leapt at Link, licking his face and wagging his tails, just like an energetic pup. Malon, seeing this reunion, smiled softly, although she did not know exactly what was happening.

Link laughed, ecstatic to have one of his first friends back to the normal, cheerful keaton he once knew, instead of the intimidating ghostly creature that haunted the ranch. Pushing Trey away from him, Link rose from the ground and scratched behind the keaton's ears, just like he had done so long ago. It was amazing how much bigger the keaton had grown over seven years, with longer legs and furrier tails, it was almost hard to recognize what was once the compassionate and brave juvenile that he had befriended.

Realizing that Malon was completely clueless to the scene before her, Link turned to her and introduced the old companion. "Malon, I'd like you to meet Hazel—an old friend of mine." From there he explained all that had gone on between the two of them, how they met, what they did, and the crazy adventures they went on. As she listened, the red-haired girl felt her smile growing, marvelling at how touching the story was, and understanding with full knowledge at why it was such a miracle for the two to become reunited again.

-oO **T.B.C **Oo-

**Edit:** Thanks to all who point out my minor mistakes in the chapter; I have gone back and corrected such errors. I suppose my impromptu revision caused me lack of judgement, unfortunatly. I should know better than to submit something I haven't thoroughly reread, but the obligation to upload a new chapter was nagging at me, so I rushed at the end of the writing process and submitted this too soon. If there are any other complications you have, now or in the future, no need to hesitate on telling me. You learn from error, after all.


	11. And So It Begins

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.  
Identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera are all figments of my imagination.

**Author's Notes: **Ugh, another long delay between chapters. I'm tired of apologizing, as everyone should be considerate with the fact that we all have real lives to attend to. This site does not control me, you know?  
In any case, it's always great to be writing more of this. I get so inspired, as this has been one of my very successful attempts at fanfiction. It will come to a close soon, however—maybe three or four more chapters to go. Also, the pace in this chapter may be a little...eh, choppy? I hope not, but there are a lot of scene breaks. Perhaps I should try to organize the information into more chapters, rather than stuffing it into one. Heh, ah well. This story was written for fun--it's not like I will publish it. Other than this, there are no other comments I have to make regarding this chapter in particular.

-oOoOo-

**Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing  
**-  
**Chapter Eleven: And So It Begins**

-oOoOo-

The fireplace in the living area of Malon's home still sparked and popped with dancing flames by late that evening. Although slowly dying out, it still emitted warmth and comfort to the surrounding area, and Trey and Lady instantly took this opportunity to lie in front of the grate, curling up and falling fast asleep to the rhythm of the fire. Trey, still looking deprived from the earlier encounter outside, felt his eyelids droop heavily from lack of comfort and sleep. He forced himself to remain awake, however, because he was still concerned for Link, his long-lost friend.

In the light of the cottage, Trey had made out the "Hylian cub" much more clearly than he had before outside. It was a wonder that the keaton could even tell who Link still was, for he had changed quite a bit since the past seven years. Tall and muscular, Link had definitely lost most of his childish features, and had developed more sophisticated ones. His voice, too, had been one thing that the keaton still had to come to terms with. Instead of the energetic, carefree tone that he remembered so well when playing in the woods, Link had now acquired a voice much like Shadow's, or Blaze's; deeper and more profound. The thought of his old pack, something that had not crossed his mind in many years, found its way back to his conscious, and the keaton lay sleepily, rewinding past events.

It was tremendously hard for him to find a bit of food after his exile from the Lost Woods, he recalled drearily, feeling a tiny pang of hunger rumble in his stomach. Prey was not as plentiful as it had been in the woods, and with Hyrule Field lacking in trees or shrubbery, there was no where to stalk or hide in, much less for prey to hide in. For the longest of times he had wandered over the desolate area, keeping a close mind not to stray too close to Hylian settlements and pathways. Those murderous horror stories of the hate between Hylians and wolfos always hovered with him, a good piece of advice he had acquired from his past life.

It turned out, that over time, a band of stalchildren had settled in to the depths of Hyrule Field. At night, Trey found out, it was increasingly dangerous to roam around, as the chance of a stalchild attacking him was almost certain. Consequently, he would often have scratches or wounds from where a stalchild had injured him when his back was turned. What little birds or rodents were around Hyrule Field instantly disappeared after the stalchildren came to play, and with hardly any options left, the keaton decided it was time to visit the place where White Foot had always warned him never to go:

The Lon Lon Ranch.

Taking refuge in a _Hylian_ settlement was not the first thing on the keaton's mind, and it quenched his pride as a wild, independent hunter every time he would be forced to steal a cucco just to suffice his growing huger pains. It was shameful, and he hated to think that he had become no more than a common thief depending on the carelessness of Hylian ranch-owners, but in order to stay alive, he had to take drastic actions, it seemed. Link had disappeared from his life, and Trey had constantly thought back to such happy days, and somewhere deep in his subconscious, he wished that the smiling, green-clothed cub would come bounding back to him, asking him if he wanted to play tag or hide-and-seek together. But it seemed that as time progressed, Trey would be nothing more than a distant memory. Link, the Hideaway, the wolfos pack, Sandy, Twiggy, White Foot…Every little recollection from his past life had been shut off inside of him, where he thought he would never see them again. That was, until, this faithful day when Link happened to return.

The keaton cocked an ear, suddenly alerted out of his drift of nostalgia. Voices were coming from another room close by, and the tones were clearly familiar. The deeper one was obviously Link's, and the other seemed to belong to that Hylian-female with the flame-coloured hair. Trey cocked both ears, however, to listen to the fluent conversation the two Hylian-humans were having.

"…So you're really going to leave tomorrow?" Malon was asking.

"Yes. I'm afraid I cannot stay too long. There is some…business I have to take care of." was Link's reply.

Malon sighed slightly. "It's the temples, isn't it?"

It was at this point Trey picked himself from the cosy position in which he was situated, and began to head towards the conversation. What was all this nonsense about 'leaving' and 'temples'? The curiosity was too great, and Trey poked his nose into the room where Link and the red-haired woman were sitting in.

Link ran a hand through his blonde bangs involuntarily, looking a bit tired and worried as he did so. "Exactly. I can't wait too long; Ganon's grip will become tighter and tighter as time goes on. I need to get this whole ordeal over with so that Hyrule will become peaceful again."

"And what of Hazel? Where will he be on your journey?"

Malon had brought up a somewhat touchy subject. Link, torn between the mind of his inner ten-year-old and the mature thinking of his older self, had not come to a decision on the matter. Reuniting with his long-lost keaton friend was _not_ in the plan for saving Hyrule. Beforehand, Link's quest was going to be straightforward and simple: Go to every temple, defeat the boss, rescue the sages, defeat Ganondorf, and bring peace to Hyrule. Now with the addition of Hazel, a decision had to be made—one that might cause needed time to go by. "In some ways," Link started, thinking over the possibilities he had, "I would love to bring him with me. I haven't seen him in what seems like forever, but on the other hand, I can't just bring him along with me. There are too many dangers and threats for a keaton." He sighed. "And I can't leave him with you. That would be imposing. You have a ranch to build up, run, and maintain—especially with Ingo out of the way."

Malon smiled lopsidedly, too polite to admit that Link was correct, and that she did not want to necessarily feed and care for another animal.

"I'll sleep on it." He finally decided, standing up from his chair. "In the morning, I'll come to a decision."

Trey darted back to his spot by the fireplace when his sensitive ears picked up the sounds of Link's leather boots plodding loudly against the old wooden floors. Under no circumstances did he want to be caught eavesdropping. The door that had been slightly ajar—the same one that led into the room where and Link and his lady friend were chatting in—creaked open, and sure enough, out came Link with Malon following close behind. As Link walked past the hearth, he stopped to pet his loyal companion on the head, feeling the familiar memories of his childhood dawning back on him. He continued his walk though, to the other side of the home, where another door was located—the spare bedroom. Before he entered however, he turned around, smiling as he said his "good-nights" to both his friends.

Soon after, Malon headed upstairs to retire for the evening, leaving Trey alone in the living area; his only companions were Lady and the dying fire. The silver cat was curled neatly into a little ball of fur by the warmth of the flames, breathing slowly and contently as she slept. The keaton however was not so quick to fall asleep, unlike Lady; Link's conversation, and what he had heard from it, was gnawing at the back of his mind. When collided with the thoughts from his past, Trey couldn't help but feel restless. There was so much to think about, it seemed. Maybe he _was _a hindrance to Link and his friend.

With a clenched jaw, Trey rose from his comfortable position by the fireplace. If he was really such a nuisance, it was fruitless to stay uninvited. On silent paws he made his way out the front door, which had been left only slightly ajar.

-oOoOo-

The delicious scent of a home-cooked breakfast drifted throughout the house that following morning, and hung temptingly in the air. It was one of the best smells Link had woken up to since his journey began.

"'Morning, Link," greeted Malon as the blonde came out of his room, a prepared rucksack nonchalantly slung over his shoulder. She noticed this and stopped her cooking for a moment to inquire, "Leaving already?"

"If I leave now, I should make it to Kakariko by sundown." Link replied, the tantalizing smell of meat and eggs filling his senses.

Malon nodded slowly in understanding. "Well, before you go, make sure to eat something to boost your strength." She handed him a plate with breakfast, which Link took without question. As he began to eat away at the delicious meal, Malon again spoke to Link: "Oh, and what of Hazel? Have you come to your decision yet?"

Already nearly finished with his meal, Link paused, remembering what he had discussed with his friend last night. He swallowed. "Of course, Hazel! In fact, I have come to a decision: I believe I can manage having him around. I would assume that he wouldn't be too much trouble."

The ranch girl stood silently, nodding respectfully at Link's statement. While she might have chosen a more practical decision of letting the animal go, she did not say anything to argue with her friend. If that was his choice, then she would offer her moral support to him.

Link handed the plate back to Malon as he quickly readjusted his rucksack, smiling lopsidedly. "Thanks," He said, "By the way, where _is_ Hazel? I haven't heard or seen him yet."

Malon halted what she was doing for a moment, pausing to think about this. Come to think of it, she had neither seen nor heard anything from the keaton. Lady had been up for hours, but there was not a trace of Hazel. She hesitated before replying, "I…I do not know, Link. Actually, it hadn't even crossed my mind until now. No, I have not seen Hazel anywhere. Are you sure he's not outside?"

"Good idea; I'll check." Link briskly said as he headed outside. Instantly he was greeted by the late summer's light, warm and inviting. Shielding his eyes with his gloved hand, Link began to search the surrounding area. "Hazel?" He called out. The horses in the corral flicked their ears at the sound of his voice as they paused at their grazing. "Hazel? Hazel, where are you?" He repeated himself, searching around the ranch for his friend.

Losing hope, he returned to the house after minutes of searching; he did not want to waste too much time, as he had to start heading towards Kakariko. Malon was finishing up breakfast and began to clean the dishes when Link entered, looking somewhat crestfallen. "No luck," he sighed, "I think he left last night."

Feeling sorry for her friend, Malon went to comfort Link. As she did this, Link spoke up again. "I can't dwell on it too much, though; there are still more important matters at hand," He shook his head sadly. "I need to leave now if I ever want to make it to Kakariko before dark."

Although she could sense the disappointment in his tone at yet again, losing Link's long-lost friend, Malon smiled softly, an amused glow sparkling lightly in her eyes. "I'll get Epona ready for you, then." Surprised at this, Link jolted for a moment out of his thoughts, and before he had time to inquire further, Malon had already headed towards the stables.

Within no time, the majestic chestnut mare that was Epona came trotting out proudly from the stables, fully ready for riding. The Triforce emblem on her saddle was one of the first little details Link had noticed as he approached her with awe. "You may keep her," Malon announced, gently handing the reigns over to Link, who merely stared wide-eyed at his friend. "You deserve it—you know, for getting rid of Ingo and everything."

"But—" Link began, but was stopped short by Malon.

"No, I will not argue with you. I insist you take her; I'll miss the both of you, but she is fond of you. And not only that—you two make a great team." Her eyes sparkled in the morning light, a small smile gracing her pink lips.

Link swung his legs over Epona, seating himself comfortably in the adorned saddle. He nodded slowly to Malon, grinning sadly at her. "Thank you for everything, Malon. I'll miss you too." He kicked the mare's sides, beginning to trot out of the ranch.

Malon waved to her friend as he left, although he could not see, and called out, "Good luck, Link!"

-oOoOo-

Trey had not known how long he had been resting for.

It had been many hours since he left the Lon Lon Ranch, he knew that by the position of the sun, but how long he had been resting for was a mystery to him. He had not bothered to check the time from when he had first started his break until the present, and he cared not. He wasn't too particularly worried about anything; stalchildren were not out at this time of day, for it was too bright for them, and there were no other predators to threaten him. With his head laid on his front paws, he relaxed himself and relished what little shade he could muster out of a dying tree. Although autumn was drawing near, the afternoon sun still rather warm, especially with a coat of fur.

The direction he travelled was none of his concern as well. He had wandered hopelessly, looking fruitlessly for anything to eat to suffice his hunger. Of course, there was nothing in this now-desolate plain. Silently he cursed the evil that had driven away fresh prey from Hyrule Field, as his hunger pains screamed from deep within him. He had neither the strength nor energy to keep his futile journey up, and with a dejected sigh, he sat mulling over his thoughts some more.

Finding Link was a miracle in and of itself, for it meant the possibility of being saved from his hunger and loneliness. However, this thought was merely a theory—a theory that sounded too good to be true. Twitching his left ear, Trey realized with a heavy heart that he should've known better to rest his life upon Link, someone he had seen for seven years. It was silly to have thought such fairytale-like scenarios.

He had been so caught up in his thoughts to have even heard the gentle thump of hooves against the ground. However, as the gradual crescendo of the sound caught Trey's ears, he lifted his head. He _was_ near a path made by the humans; it was possible that there were travellers on their way to town. Paying little attention to the sound afterwards, he resumed his relaxed, sloth-like state. The hooves slowed down, though, and were replaced by the familiar thump of human feet.

The keaton remained unfazed. He had little strength to defend himself against a human attack, and if his time had come, then he accepted it. As the footsteps drew closer to him, Trey jolted upright when he heard the deep voice of someone he knew all too well: "Hazel, is that you?"

Nearly disbelieving his own acute hearing, Trey spun around, wide-eyed at the sight of Link, standing a ways away from a giant animal—a horse, as Trey recalled the name. The Hylian stood away from the keaton, maintaining his distance. Secure in his belief that this keaton was Hazel—after all, how many stray keatons roamed Hyrule Field?—Link took a step forward. "I've been looking for you! Are you okay? Why did you run away? Is something wrong?"

Trey continued to stare at his two-legged friend. Although his appearance had drastically changed since seven years ago, Link still, surprisingly, carried the vague tone of a child in his voice. Sometimes it was simple to pinpoint those times when Link maintained his child-like behaviourisms—from his concern, Link had sounded a little like himself from way back in the Lost Woods. Slightly baffled at how his friend could still act like the Link he had befriended, yet not have the same monstrous characteristics of grown Hylians that he had been informed so well about, Trey stood stock still, calculating Link and trying to make sense of it all.

The blonde continued to still approach Trey with caution, as he had not known what upset the keaton to the extent that he would run away. As Link came closer and still questioned the keaton with genuine worry, Trey's chocolate eyes softened as he realized that this concern was not superficial. Link knelt down to Trey's height and proceeded to pet the keaton in the way he had done when he was a child. "I wanted to find you," He started to explain, "So you could come along with me on my journey."

At this, Trey's black-tipped ears perked up in mild surprise. The hesitant, indecisive words from Link last night during the Hylians' conversation still echoed in his mind. Trey was sure that Link had not wanted him around, and that he would merely weigh him down. This statement had completely erased all of his previous thoughts. Realizing his mistake, Trey leaned his head forward and gave a quick apologetic lick to Link's face.

Grinning, Link scratched the keaton behind the ears, glad that things seemed to be patched up between the two of them. He rose to his feet slowly and began to head back towards Epona, Trey obediently at his heels. Before mounting his horse, Link said over his shoulder, "We're heading to Kakariko Village. It shouldn't be much longer until we reach the town; it'll be no later than dusk when we arrive." He was going to saddle his mare when one quick look at Trey made him hesitate in his action. The keaton was unmistakably thin and malnourished, as some of his ribs were visible underneath his thinning golden fur. There was no way for a creature in such a deprived state to compete with the speed and energy of a healthy mare; the keaton was going to tire himself out easily if he had to follow Epona's steps.

Link quickly calculated Trey's size and weight, then turned his attention to Epona's beautiful saddle. Many bags of various sizes were hanging loosely—they had not yet been filled with supplies and weaponry Link needed on his journey. The bags were not large enough to accommodate a creature of Trey's proportions, but quickly improvising, Link figured out a temporary method to make sure his friend would be safe in the journey to Kakariko. Using some spare cloth he had in another saddle bag, the Hylian made a makeshift sling with the fabric hanging from Epona's saddle.

Link tied the knots securely, and then turned his attention back to Trey. "This'll do for now, I suppose." He said, "I don't think you can keep up with Epona at this point, so maybe you can sit tight in the sling until we figure something else out."

Thankful that Link had taken into account his dilapidated state, Trey barked gratefully to Link. He was picked up and placed in the sling, balancing his weight to make sure he wouldn't slip out. The Hero of Time then mounted Epona, and with a quick kick, they were off trotting at a good pace. "Hang on, Hazel," Link called out, "We'll be there soon."

-oOoOo-

The town of Kakariko looked more like what Link had remembered it to be compared to the destroyed Market Place, which calmed his fears of everything he once loved being destroyed. Epona trotted slowly, and Trey bounced a little in the sling he sat in. The skies were growing darker, with hues of deep violets and blues painting the heavens above them. A thick line of smoke drifted upwards to the clouds beyond the horizon, and Link wondered what it was. When he had inquired about it to some villager, they responded that it was Death Mountain's volcano, restless and spontaneous. The Hero of Time figured that this was the next spot to go to on his quest.

However much he needed to, or wanted to, continue his quest, Link realized that it could not happen until the next day. The ride from the ranch had been longer than he had anticipated, and now the day was running out. He couldn't possibly fight monsters and solve puzzles when he needed sleep. Link trotted Epona over to an old inn where he once went to as a kid, seven years back. It was the only one he was certain he could trust. Some of the other inns in the town were a bit dodgy, what with all the drunken men, women of ill repute, and other generally odd sorts of people who hung out in such areas.

Tying the chestnut mare to a stable behind the inn, Link helped the keaton out of the sling and onto the ground. He told Trey to wait while he went inside; some inns didn't allow animals in the building. With one last look to the horse and keaton, Link entered the familiar inn.

"Good evening," Link greeted as he sauntered up to the front desk. A plump, large lady behind the desk turned to him as a small smile graced her fat, red lips, returning his greeting. "Do you have any spare rooms available?"

The woman checked some papers, muttering to herself as she did so. Finally, she snapped her attention back on Link and replied, "Yessir,"—she slurred her words together—"Got a one-bed room upstairs. That alright?"

"How much?"

"Oh 'ey, sixty Rupees is all I'm askin' fer per night." Her accent was heavy and thick, and Link could only barely make out what she was saying.

"Sounds reasonable." Link untied his wallet from his belt and placed it on the counter. But before he pulled out the money, he asked, "What is your policy on animals?"

The chubby woman blinked and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "'Ey? 'Animals'? Whut on earth are you talkin' 'bout, boy?"

"What I'm trying to say is, do you allow animals to be kept in the rooms?"

The woman hesitated, then turned her head to the side, calling out in a very loud tone, "Oi! 'ubert! Come out 'ere!"

A rather skinny man came peeking out behind a tattered curtain—which supposedly led to an "employees' only room"—his brown eyes dulled and confused. A mop of unruly, thinning, hazel hair was slapped on his head, and he ran a hand through it nervously as he approached the desk.

"'ey now, what's all the fuss?" His accent was also heavy, though not as much as his colleague's.

"This man 'ere wants to know whether 'e can bring animals into th' rooms."

Hubert scratched his balding head, pondering. "Depends on whut the animal is." He turned to Link. "We allow some creatures into our facility, but not all."

"Dogs?"

Hubert shrugged. "As long as they're healthy."

"Well, what about...Keatons? They're sort of like dogs."

Hubert and his employee grew deathly quiet and exchanged blank looks between each other. Finally, the round woman snorted and began to laugh. "Good one, boy! That's really quite funny."

Link's eyebrows furrowed. "What? What's so funny?"

"Beggin' your pardon sir, but you must be daft in the 'ead to believe keatons are still around; there 'aven't been sightings of keatons in 'yrule for _years_!" Hubert coughed through his laughs, trying to keep himself from being too fanatical, unlike his female employee. He leaned over to counter and whispered, "You do know that spotting a keaton is rare, right? They're supposedly elusive an' shy creatures, an' seeing one is extremely lucky."

"Oh aye, I'd be damned if I ever saw a keaton in such times." The woman wiped a tear away from her eye, trying to get her breathing back to normal. "In fact, th' day when I see a keaton will be the day 'ubert 'ere gives me a kiss...On th' lips! Isn't that right, 'ubert?" She slapped Hubert's back, hard, with a hearty guffaw or two, making him stumble over his own feet for a moment. He grinned lopsidedly, attempting to rub the now sore area where his employee had slapped.

"I _have_ a keaton, though!" Link protested, shifting his weight uneasily.

The woman snorted again, but did not laugh. "Alright, boy, I 'eard you th' first time. Your jokes were appreciated at first, but now it's staler than the bread we put on th' tables 'ere." Hubert nudged his employee in the ribs at this, silently shushing her for this statement. Some man who was eating his bread at the time spat it out as he heard these words.

"I'm not joking," Link continued, trying to persuade these people to believe him. "I have a friend who's a keaton. He's waiting outside right now."

Hubert stood akimbo, raising an eyebrow sceptically. "Oh aye, I believe ya'. So then, show us this 'keaton friend' of yours." He smirked with a chuckle, disbelieving Link's words.

Link sighed as he trotted over to the door, leaned out, and whispered something inaudible. Hubert and his employee leaned across the desk, wondering what on earth he was doing. The Hylian then opened the door up wide, allowing free passage for anyone to walk through. At this, a golden-furred creature waltzed from the outside, where it had begun to rain lightly, and shook his fur when he had entered the inn. His chocolate eyes were hard and serious, but at the same time, glowing slightly with amusement. He followed Link as his two-legged friend went back to the desk, returning Hubert's smirk for one of his own. Hubert and the woman were totally floored by this, as their eyes had widened, jaws had dropped, and faces became paler by the second.

The woman held up a hand to her forehead, finally swallowing at the sight of the majestic animal. She fumbled for words to say, but none seemed appropriate. Not knowing what else to do, she absently handed Link a dull bronze key as he exchanged it for sixty Rupees. "One night only." He said, drifting away to the staircase, Trey at his heels.

Finally, Hubert and the woman turned to each other. An elongated pause passed between the two of them, each registering the presence of the lucky animal in their minds. When the pause seemed to go on for an eternity, the woman broke it by saying, "Pucker up."

-oOoOo-

When the first rays of the morning's light shone through the window's clear glass, Trey had already woken up. He stretched lazily as he rose from his spot on the rug, deciding that he couldn't just lie around forever, especially when the first day of his new adventure had dawned. Last night he had rested better than he had for seven years, where he was completely content with his present life, and didn't have to always keep an eye open to make sure trouble didn't come his way. In the inn, he slept peacefully and securely, knowing that no stalchildren or disgruntled farmers would find him. On top of that, he had a full belly from eating scraps given to him graciously by the inn's owner, Hubert. He had visited Trey and Link last night, offering these scraps for free. It seemed that Trey was welcomed in this place, although the exact reason he was unsure of.

Link was still sound asleep, evidently worn out from the previous day. His deep breathing was one of the only sounds disturbing the early morning stillness; it was truly tranquil. Grinning contently, Trey padded around the room, careful not to cause too much noise, as he did not want to disturb Link from his slumber. The Hylian was snug under the blankets of the bed in the corner, his blonde hair an unruly mop. His hat, along with boots, belt, and green tunic had been carelessly discarded in a corner or over a chair. The keaton, studying Link's sleeping form, crept closer to the bed and carefully stepped up onto the mattress. He shifted towards the outer edge of the bed and lay down peacefully, listening to the sounds of Link's breathing and the chirping birds outside. He still could not believe how rash he had been yesterday, running away and everything. It was evident that Link meant no harm, and still wished to remain close companions with him.

As he lay silently next to the Hylian, he felt Link begin to shift in his sleep. His large hand found its way close to Trey, and he carefully—almost deliberately—placed it on top of the keaton's head. "Hazel?" He murmured in a half-awake state. He yawned widely, opening his tired eyes to meet Trey's bright chocolate pupils. He chuckled as he sat up in bed. "Ha, so it is you." He ruffled the golden fur on Trey's head friendlily. "You rest well?"

Trey barked concisely in response to this before springing off of the mattress. Link grinned, removing the sheets from his body. He swung his bare feet over the edge of the bed and stretched his arms. "Good, because we need to get going soon." He stood up and plodded across the dark wooden floors as he ran a hand through his messy hair, in a mediocre attempt to tame the blonde mop. He didn't care much though as he slipped his tunic back over his shirt and tights, followed by his hat and boots. Link grabbed his rucksack from the corner and flung it over his shoulder. "Come on, then," He called over his shoulder—he still sounded as if he were half-asleep—"Let's get some breakfast, then we'll climb Death Mountain; I need to speak to the Gorons."

Hubert did have a few more scraps to offer to the "lucky" keaton, and after Link had sufficed his hunger, the two began the hike up the mountainside.

-oOoOo-

Goron City was unlike anything Trey had ever set his eyes upon.

Built entirely with rocks and stones, the immense city inside the side of Death Mountain was decorated with torn tapestries and flags. For a place so grand, so large, it was actually built quite deliberately, with meticulous care to every detail of layout. Intricate pathways sloped downwards in a circular fashion towards the very centre of the city, to where a giant cauldron stood, towering towards the very top of the cave. Trey, in awe, stood marvelling at this architectural wonder from the top floor in the city. He had never seen a Goron in his life, but he figured they must be powerful and robust figures to have built this city.

There were no Gorons here at the present time, however. It was clearly evident was no life in this remarkable place. The air was cold, lacking warmth and life. As Trey sat patiently, he felt a chill run through his spine. There was definitely something wrong. Link had gone to investigate, for he too had felt the lifeless aura that surrounded the city. Trey had been instructed to stay put, and he obediently did so as his friend went to explore.

A sudden explosion followed by a startled, high-pitched cry ricocheted off the high ceilings in the city. Jolting to attention, Trey sprung to his paws, muscles tensed and heart rapidly thumping beneath his skin. _Was that Link?_ He frantically thought, worry for the safety of his friend clearly sweeping across his mind. Without a second to lose, he sprinted off down the stairs towards the direction of the sound. He was thankful he had what little strength he needed to run like this, and as the keaton descended another flight of stairs, he came in contact with his friend and a very odd looking figure.

Link was standing menacingly over a hunched figure, whom had fallen to the ground, and was rubbing his head with his large, brown hands. This figure was plump and stocky, yet looked powerful as it had rather muscular arms. Instead of its skin being pink and light, like the Hylians' tended to be, it was very dark brown, and on it back, sharp fragments of rocks protruded. Trey cocked his head to one side; could this have been a Goron?

The Goron wept slightly, as it began to murmur hastily and almost incoherently. "P-p-please don't hurt me!" It begged, sniffling every now and then. "Please, please! I do not want to die! Ask Lord Ganondorf to pardon me, please!" It shook visibly, and Link came to kneel down to its height.

"Calm down, calm down," Link began gently, trying to settle down the frantic Goron. "It's alright; I'm not working for Ganondorf."

At this, the Goron looked up with teary chocolate eyes. "You-You're not?"

Link shook his head. "Of course not, I'm doing the opposite—trying to stop him." He helped the Goron child to his feet. "My name's Link, and I need to speak to your leader, Darunia, instantly."

The Goron child wiped his eyes and attempted to collect himself from his shock. "What? _You're_ Link? As in, Link, Hero of the Gorons? The very same Link that saved our people from famine and slaughtered the King Dodongo? Or, Link, Sworn Goron Brother of Darunia? Or—"

He was stopped short by Link, who scratched his neck nervously, chuckling. "Enough, enough. Heh, I see my reputation precedes me; yes, I am that very Link you speak of."

Clapping his hands delightedly, the young Goron hopped up and down excitedly. "Wow! Why did you not say so before? Allow me to introduce myself: I am Prince Link of the Gorons." At this, Prince Link bowed low before the Hero of Time. He came up again to meet Link's blue eyes with his now excited chocolate pupils. "My father is the King of the Gorons, Darunia. He named me after you, as he spoke of your courageous actions you have done to my people. Unfortunately, my father is not here…Nor is the rest of my tribe." Prince Link sighed dejectedly, lowering his head in sadness.

"Wait, what?" Link asked with shock, stepping towards the young prince.

Prince Link nodded. "Yes, Lord Ganondorf has taken them to the volcano…as prisoners." The young Goron sniffed again, feeling tears sparkle at the corners of his beady eyes. "He wanted something…Something powerful…I'm not sure what it was, but dad knew, and dad wouldn't let him have it. As punishment for dad's resistance, Lord Ganondorf took our people captive, and is threatening to feed them to a mighty dragon if he doesn't get what he wants." Tears had begun to stream down his face as he spluttered this out, and he wailed loudly, causing Trey and Link to shirk back at the sound.

Link put a comforting gloved hand on Prince Link's rough shoulder. "Don't worry, Prince Link," He spoke through the cries, determined to assure the young Goron that everything was going to be alright. "I'll rescue your people, and your dad. You just have to tell me where to find them."

Sniffing away the continuous tears, Prince Link paused for a moment, thinking. He pulled a crimson tunic from seemingly out of nowhere and handed it to Link. "Here, you'll need this," He shakily responded, "They're in the volcano; the entrance is behind the totems in the throne room."

Link nodded as he took the tunic from the Goron. "Of course, I'll get right on it, don't you worry." He stood up, and turned to leave when he felt Prince Link's hand tug on his tunic.

"W-wait, Big Brother," He sputtered again, wiping away his tears. Link turned around, concern in his azure eyes. Prince Link lowered his eyes for a moment, a little ashamed of what he was going to say. "Um, what if Lord Ganondorf returns while you are away? I do not know what I would do if he were to return…"

It was clear that the young Goron was worried for his safety, and while Link was trying to decide on how to calm his fears, Trey came plodding up behind the Hylian. He nudged his leg with his muzzle and gazed up to meet Link's eyes. The Hero of Time smiled, knowing just what would do the trick. "Prince Link," He began, turning to face the frightened Goron, "I want you to meet a friend of mine: Hazel the keaton." At this, the keaton stepped out from behind Link, face-to-face with the stout prince.

The prince swallowed his sadness to gaze directly into the glimmering, friendly eyes of the keaton. He suddenly grinned, his thin pink lips spreading across his whole face in sheer glee. He gasped, let go of Link's tunic, and ran to the animal. "Doggy!" He cried as he threw his muscular arms around the neck of Trey. Trey yelped in shock, but patiently accepted this new form of affection.

Link chuckled at Trey's antics, and at the prince's exclamation, as he said, "Hazel will look after you while I'm away. He's a dear friend of mine, and is very courageous and strong." With a twinkle in his eye, he added on, "Ganondorf wouldn't stand a chance."

Prince Link nodded. "Thank you, Mister Link," He wiped away the remains of his tears. "Please hurry and rescue my dad, along with the tribe. Lord Ganondorf must be stopped."

"You have my word, Prince Link." The Hylian assured the prince, as he bowed shortly. "Oh, and Hazel," Trey looked up at the sound of his name, "Watch over Prince Link." The keaton barked back his reply, swinging his golden tails side to side in content satisfaction.

-oOoOo-

Death Mountain's volcano felt indeed as a volcano should feel—hot and smouldering, and the atmosphere weighing down any traveller. Luckily for Link, he was blessed with the crimson, fire-resistant tunic that the prince of the Gorons had given to him. It was made with Dodongo scales—more resistant than any material accessible to any Hyrulian.

The entrance to the Fire Temple was not far in sight when a teenage boy in a skin-tight blue outfit came flying down in front of Link. Startled, the Hero of Time stumbled backwards in shock. "Sheik!" He gasped, instantly recognizing the figure, "Don't do that to me!"

The Sheikah merely chuckled lightly before turning his blood red eyes to Link. "Let's cut to the chase, Hero," He stated blatantly, for Sheik was never beating around the bush, "Tell me, why are you travelling with a keaton of all creatures?" He eyed Link up and down suspiciously, as if the Hero was something more than what Sheik had originally thought him to be.

Link hesitated for a moment. "We've known each other since I was a child in the Kokiri Forest," He began, "I found him and took him along with me."

Sheik was silent for a moment, arms akimbo. "I see." He said plainly, with a hint of a sneer in his tone. "Very well, just don't let him get in the way, or near _me_; I am not fond of canines or will I ever will be. Come, pull out the ocarina—it's time you learned the Bolero of Fire."

Link nodded and pulled out the instrument, wondering silently why Sheik would question about Hazel in such a pessimistic manner. Nevertheless, he tried to concentrate what was in front of him at the time: The task of completing the Fire Temple and rescuing the Gorons from imprisonment.

-oO **T.B.C. **Oo-


	12. Truth Buried in the Sands, Part 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.  
Identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera are all figments of my imagination.

**Author's Notes: **Mm. The only thing I have to say for myself is that I realize Link had to travel back in time briefly in order to do a portion of the Spirit Temple, but it proved a bit too complicated to incorporate, so…I guess, just pretend it never happened.  
Also, I lowered the rating a point again, as I feel that I have not used swears as frequently as I originally thought I would.

-oOoOo-

**Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing  
**-  
**Chapter Twelve: Truth Buried in the Sands, Part 1**

-oOoOo-

The sky was thick with heavy grey clouds by midday, and a cool, sharp wind was busy blowing across the barren land of Hyrule Field. Trey quickly shook himself as he felt a chill pass through his thick golden pelt, but continued on his journey despite the poor weather conditions. Tilting his head back slightly, he frowned at the sight of the clouds, and grumbled low in his throat in annoyance; it definitely looked as if it would rain soon.

"I think Link and I have both seen _enough_ water to last us quite a while," Trey sourly thought, as he jogged along at a steady pace.

At the thought of Link, the keaton turned his gaze towards his friend, who was mounted upon that great beast—a "horse". He was trotting rather lethargically, almost carelessly, ahead of Trey. Over the past few weeks, while the keaton had accompanied Link on his quest, his weight had increased enough so that the sling could hardly keep him steady while riding. It was almost odd how Link could be riding so freely, what with the pressure of defeating Ganondorf looming over his head. "He must be tired," Trey thought, "What with all those 'temples' he's been visiting."

The duo had just travelled from Lake Hylia, where Link had entered and defeated the Water Temple. Trey on the other hand, like the rest of the temples he had visited, waited patiently outside for his friend to return. The sudden burst of water that filled the lake after Link had finished startled the keaton, as he had been pacing around the barren crater and was so overcome with the new abundance of water that he found himself submerged for a short while before surfacing and treading water. Without thinking, Trey shook his fur again, memories of swimming through the lake coming back to him. This gloomy weather didn't help much to clear those thoughts.

Link slowed down his pace briefly as the sight of Kakariko Village, not far away now, broke over the crest of the hill he was trekking. Trey jogged up ahead and paused next to Link and craned his neck backwards to see the Hylian's expression. At first, a small content smile had graced his lips, but as he scanned the horizon and looked towards Kakariko, his smile dissolved into a worried frown. His eyebrows were furrowed in thought, and his azure eyes were hard and serious.

Suddenly, Link snapped out of his concentrated state and turned his attention to Trey, gripping the reins of his horse tightly. "There's trouble in Kakariko!" He shouted concisely, before kicking the horse's sides and cantering off in the direction of the village. Startled, the keaton raced after him, feet flying over the dusty land.

Wind whipped through his pelt sharply as he pursued Link. Squinting his eyes in annoyance, Trey disregarded the sting of cool wind in his face. All that mattered now was heading towards that village, as Link seemed to be in a panic. Wondering what the matter could be, Trey hastily darted his eyes from the figure of Link and his horse to that of Kakariko Village. With every step, the sight of an orange-red glow, that lit the sky around the town, was more visible. Several thin trails of smoke were rising from the village compound in addition to this, and Trey realized in shock what was happening.

"Where there's smoke, there's fire." He thought as he picked up speed. As his paws drummed over the stone bridge leading to the village, Link had already began to run up the long and winding stairs, sword unsheathed and glimmering in the faint orange glow. Trey stopped briefly at the foot of the stairs to catch his breath before scaling the stairs to Kakariko.

Upon entering the normally peaceful town of Kakariko, Trey stopped in his tracks to both catch his breath and survey the situation before him. Tall, glowing flames leapt from the tops of buildings, licking and devouring everything in its path. They danced menacingly, eating away at the town and creating an inferno of Kakariko. Screams and wails from the townsfolk mixed in with the roar of the fire, producing a medley of agony and destruction. Trey pressed his long ears backwards, gritting his teeth in pain; he could never become accustomed to this noise, and pained him endlessly.

Frozen to the ground, Trey hastily turned his head side-to-side, searching over the panic-stricken townspeople, who were hurrying back and forth from house to house, wondering where Link could've run off to. However, this task was like finding a needle in a haystack, as Link had blended in with the noise and confusion. The keaton finally took off towards the overpowering heat. Blindly, he raced past townspeople, swerving and manoeuvring nimbly around the spontaneity of the village, keeping a sharp eye out for the unmistakable figure of his Hylian friend.

He reached the top of a small hill in no time, coughing and breathing heavily, as he scanned the burning village before him. Finally, he spotted the green-clothed figure of Link, who was standing in the centre of Kakariko, surrounded on nearly all sides by flame-engulfed buildings. Trey bounded down the hill again, never leaving his gaze off of his friends. He came to a sudden halt however as he observed Link more carefully; he seemed tense, for some or other reason. Trey watched as Link advanced towards an ordinary-looking well, gripping the hilt of the Master Sword firmly in his gloved hand. Unexpectedly, a deep violet coloured gaseous being sprouted from that ordinary-looking well. Trey stepped back in shock, watching in horror as it made its way towards Link.

Wasting no time, Trey sprinted back towards the centre of Kakariko, despite the effects of the smoke-filled air on his lungs. He arrived where Link had stood, just in time to see the massive evil being ramming straight into Link. The Hylian stood steady and courageous in the face of this threat, and brandished his sword heroically, swinging it with all his might directly at the foul creature. As the metal came in contact with the glowing, mauve being, the world seemed to pause for a split second. Link's attack had no affect on this thing, as it merely repelled the attack with a powerful wave of dark energy. It knocked back Link with a mighty force, unlike anything Trey had ever seen, and sent him colliding into a rock wall. A wave of energy remaining from the attack rippled off and hit Trey as well, although not nearly as powerful. The keaton could feel his skin prickle uneasily, having being swept in this dark, evil attack.

Trey did not even stop to see where the monstrosity that had sent Link flying slithered off to, as he impulsively sprinted towards the limp body of his friend. A heavy rain finally began to fall from the ominous clouds above, quenching some of the fire in the town. Trey's golden fur clung to his sides as he nudged Link's face with his nose. Fearing death for him, Trey struggled to find a vital sign when he heard a mysterious, deep voice from his right:

"Do not fear, keaton; he is merely unconscious." Trey snapped his head towards the voice, looking towards the speaker with large hazel eyes. The voice belonged to none other than that Hylian that had always seemed to follow Link on his journeys: A blue-clothed figure, Sheik. Over the past few weeks, Link and Trey had both met Sheik, as he proved to provide vital information for Link's quest. It seemed however that Sheik was never very fond of the keaton, as he had always been wary of Trey's very presence.

Kneeling down to inspect Link's limp body closer, Sheik muttered from beneath his face-cloth, "He will wake eventually. The creature from the well was far too powerful, even for the Chosen Hero to fight in such a circumstance. He will need more training and the completion of the Shadow Temple in order to defeat that dark being." His ruby eyes shifted towards the sopping, panting figure of Trey, piercing down any ill-intentions of the keaton's with a simple gaze. "Go. Do not worry for his health—he will be perfectly fine shortly." He seemed to hesitate for a moment before adding, "Take care of the villagers. I need to stay with the Hero of Time."

Trey, slightly winded from the mad sprint, stood still and uneasy as he gazed deep into Sheik's hard eyes. Finally, he nodded slowly and jogged away, into the charred ruins of Kakariko. The fire was quenched thanks to the sudden downpour, and all that remained were blacked, smoking buildings and grieving townspeople. Soot mixed in with rainwater and mud, and as Trey walked through the town, his paws soon became blacked and grimy.

He trusted Sheik with Link, but was still concerned for the well-being of his friend. Sheik was a vague, mysterious Hylian, and the keaton had a hard time reading him. Nonetheless, his actions did not seem harmful; neither did his demeanour, no matter how baffling. Trey padded towards some Kakariko Village children, who were weeping softly, scared and confused. He came to comfort them, knowing that he had to adhere to Sheik's request, but also to his emotions and compassion for this town. Until Link woke from his unconscious state, he would have to help out these people in what little way he could.

-oOoOo-

The raging inferno that washed Kakariko in a panic had subsided, and all that was left was the quiet, pained aftermath. The rains had stopped some time ago, and all that was left were the blackened remains of the Village. A cool wind swept over the town, quite a relief from the overwhelming heat of fire. People huddled and talked, discussing the rebuilding of Kakariko. These mumbled, tired voices were the first thing Link heard when he came to his senses.

Eyes fluttering slowly open, he grasped at his head in pain, straining to remember where he was last. After a second of adjusting to the light and regaining his thoughts, he tried to snap upright from where he was lying in the floor, suddenly in a panic. A firm hand, however, pushed down on his chest, followed by a familiar voice:

"Don't."

Instantly Link turned to look at the speaker. "Sheik!" He exclaimed, "Where did it go? Where is the creature from the well? I need to stop it!"

Sheik shook his head slowly. "You'll be doing no such thing at this time. That being was more powerful than you could ever withstand now. You'll have to complete the Shadow Temple first."

Despite Sheik's protest, Link sat upright slowly from his spot on the ground. Passively, he noted that he had been moved from the rock wall to a spot underneath a cloth canopy, to where the rains had not gotten him. "Shadow Temple? Does this mean you'll give me directions and teach me a new song?"

Sheik nodded. "Yes, hero. Of course, there is something more you need before entering the temple."

From a distance away, Trey lay on the ground, ears drooped tiredly. He had done a fantastic job of keeping the young children spirited and occupied for some time, in order to calm them while their parents discussed matters privately. His ears perked up at the sound of familiar voices, however. Suddenly recognizing those sounds, he gathered himself up and headed towards them. Sheik was discussing something with someone. Joyously, Trey noticed that it was none other than Link, as he happily jogged over to meet his friend.

Link turned his head to the side and smiled at the reunion with Trey. Sheik on the other hand seemed nonchalant and unfazed at this. However, he did note Trey's presence with a, "I've always been cautious of his keaton friend of your's, Link. Some animals in this time have a reputation of being spies for Lord Ganondorf. I wasn't too thrilled about how he accompanied you all across Hyrule. However," He turned his gaze to Trey, "I suppose I was mistaken. He seems to be trustworthy and definitely truly loyal to you. Nevertheless, I have my speculations."

Link grinned and ruffled the fur on top of the keaton's head before Sheik continued.

"Are you aware of what you have to do, Hero of Time?" Having an affirmative nod from Link made Sheik finish, "Good. Now, get out your ocarina; I will teach you the Nocturne of Shadows."

-oOoOo-

A wave of serenity, and a tinge of boredom, washed over Trey as he sat placidly, tails wrapped across his forepaws. He took in a deep breath of cool, misty air and exhaled it slowly. Link was once again adventuring through a complex temple, determined to defeat the gaseous being that reeled him backwards in Kakariko. The keaton couldn't blame him. He had been in there awhile, and Trey was beginning to wonder how puzzling this particular temple really was.

Yawning widely, the keaton stretched his muscles out and shook his fur involuntarily. He stepped outwards, looking over the view of the Kakariko Graveyard. Although slightly eerie and melancholy, this view of the silent headstones was actually quite tranquil, especially with the surrounding clouds of mist to muffle out any sound. As the keaton poked his head out over the edge of the alcove in the rock, he couldn't help associating the tombstones with his own anxious thoughts of his old pack: Where were they now? Were they alive? Ill? Dead?

Trey sighed softly. Throughout his adventures with Link, he had not helped but recall memories of his old wolfos pack. Somewhere, deep inside of him, he longed to see all the old, familiar faces he had grown up with: White Foot, Shadow, Twiggy, Sandy, and even Blaze and Blizzard. He had to keep reminding himself that he was exiled, and could no longer return to the forest, no matter how much he missed his family, friends, and home. Kakariko's fire had rung a bell in Trey's mind, reminding him of an old haunting dream of the Lost Woods burning, with his whole pack suffering the consequences. This only added to his worry, as he had no way of knowing what had happened, if this had actually occurred or not.

A faint sound pierced the still, hanging silence of the graveyard. Instantly Trey perked up, his ears rising attentively. After moments of straining to pinpoint the sound and to identify just what it was exactly, he came to realization that it must be the flapping of wings. Craning his head backwards, he gaped towards the grey skies. Sure enough, the silhouette of a mammoth bird against the clouds was clear as day. Trey inspected hastily, and when deciding he could trust it, he barked excitedly. The body of the bird had reminded him of Kaepora Gaebora, the wise, old owl from the forest. But surely, this couldn't be him.

The bird heard his barks and began to swoop downwards to meet him. A gust of wind met Trey's face as he perched down onto an old branch protruding from a crack in the wall. As he opened his bright chocolate eyes, Trey gasped in shock as he beheld the large bird in front of him.

Indeed, it was an owl like he had initially thought, but what had Trey floored by disbelief and joy, was that he had once known this owl. "Kaepora Gaebora?!" He shouted, incredulous. Here he was just thinking of the forest, and look who arrived! "Is that really you?"

The burly old owl hooted, amused, and seemed to smile. "Good heavens, I could say the same for you. Trey, is it?" The keaton nodded, enthusiasm building by the second. "Even through the mist and thin clouds, I could not mistake the sight of golden fur; your coat shines like sunlight after a storm."

Trey grinned. "It is so refreshing to see you again, Kaepora! It's been too long since I've seen anything that belongs to my old life."

Kaepora Gaebora turned his head upside-down. "Yes, and it's been too long since I've seen a keaton in Hyrule. Where have you been this entire time?"

"After I was exiled, I lived off of the Hylians' carelessness, at a ranch." Then, thinking of Kaepora's previous statement, added, "Wait, what do you mean 'it's been too long since you've seen a keaton in Hyrule'? What's happened since my absence?"

The excitement that had surrounded this jubilant reunion quickly dissipated into a very serious, solemn mood as the old owl's features hardened. "Much has happened since you left, Trey. The Deku Scrubs that your pack was so intent on stopping proved to be an even stronger force that than what was originally thought. Even with the addition of Boar, they multiplied and took over the entire Lost Woods." He paused briefly. "Soon afterwards, Ganondorf seized power in Hyrule, and sent his minions everywhere—the Lost Woods became a wreck, and many of the creatures living there were forced to flee. Keatons were one of many, and the majority of all keatons fled to Termina to join the other packs."

Trey, stunned, nearly struggled to find his tongue. "And what of my old pack? White Foot? Shadow?"

Kaepora Gaebora flipped his head right-side-up and looked uneasy. "…Your father has not seen me until that time before you left the woods. As for the fate of your pack, that I know not; I was forced to attend some pressing business in Termina. When I returned to Hyrule some few years ago, I found the Lost Woods a total wasteland and your pack…gone."

The world seemed to spin for a moment, and Trey had to find his footing briefly before pushing away pressing thoughts in his mind in order to communicate clearly to the owl. He swallowed an uncomfortable bile in his throat before speaking, "Do you think…Do you think they're alive?"

The great owl thought for a moment. "It is possible. I know Blaze and Blizzard to be smart, and would never worthlessly sacrifice the pack to some doom. They could've migrated to a new home in Termina, or Hyrule even. But as for where, that I do not know."

Nodding, Trey tried to conjure up positive thoughts on the whereabouts of his pack. "Yes, yes, I think you're right. They wouldn't knowingly walk into danger, especially when it was right up in front of them."

Kaepora Gaebora took this opportunity to change the subject slightly, "And what of yourself? How in the world…How did you ever end up _here_?"

Trey opened his mouth to speak, when a deep voice from behind shook him out of his concentrated state. "Hazel? _Kaepora Gaebora_?"

The keaton spun around, nougat eyes wide and alert. It was Link speaking. He sheathed his sword behind him as he stepped towards the two creatures. His tunic torn slightly, and his skin bruised and scratched, he appeared to have just completed the Shadow Temple. Trey barked a greeting to Link, who friendlily scratched the keaton behind the ears to return the greeting.

Kaepora Gaebora shot an astonished gaze at Trey, who sheepishly smiled and shrugged briefly.

"Hello, Kaepora Gaebora," Link greeted, turning to the massive owl perched just a little ways away from him. "Is there something I need to know about the next temple?"

Shaking his astonishment off, Kaepora appeared to nod. "Why, yes, actually. I came to congratulate you on defeating Ganondorf's minions, and also to tell you where the last temple is located: you will find it buried deep in the swirling sands of Gerudo Valley. As for how to get there, you'll have to inquire with the Gerudo women. Now, they are a distrusting people, ever since Ganondorf's rein over Hyrule, so you'll have to gain their respect somehow before acquiring any information you need." Link nodded in understanding at this.

A short pause followed this before Kaepora Gaebora finished up, "Well, that's all there is to be said. Again, well done, Link; you have done Hyrule proud. Soon you will be ready to face Ganondorf once and for all. Good luck, Hero of Time." With that, Kaepora Gaebora took flight again, but not before giving Trey another look; the two creatures would not know if they would ever see each other again.

-oOoOo-

'…_You will find it buried deep in the swirling sands of Gerudo Valley_.' Trey recalled, taking another heavy paw-step onward. _Why, why in the _world_ did this blasted temple have to be in the desert?_ He thought bitterly, flattening his ears back in annoyance. Some time had passed between temples, and after Link had gotten the information about the last temple from the Gerudo, they had set off again, this time through the thick sands of the desert.

The blazing, suffocating heat of the desert was so powerful, that with every step further, Trey wished he had enjoyed the misty, cool air in the graveyard much more than he did. Especially with the burden of a thick pelt, the desert was the last place where a keaton would have liked to be. Despite this, he continued on, following Link to the ends of the world if he had to. _How Boar and his pack ever survived in this place is beyond me._ Trey grumbled silently, _They must be hardy wolfos to have put up with this climate day in and day out._

Trey shook the grains of sand out of his thick golden fur. _That's it! Perhaps Boar's pack knows where my old pack is now. Maybe even Boar is available to talk; even though he did try to abuse power in Blaze's pack…I would love to get some answers._

He was nearly about to keel over in exhaustion when Link exclaimed, "Would you look at _that_, Hazel!"

These words seemed optimistic and excited, so without delay, Trey lifted his head towards the direction that Link was pointed towards. Grinning, the keaton's tails wagged back and forth with relief and a new sense of euphoria, for up ahead, loomed a great stone structure: The Spirit Temple. Feeling rejuvenated and have spirits uplifted, the duo trudged through the thick, swirling tan sands. The intricately-decorated building grew closer and closer with each step. Finally, panting and sweating, the friends arrived at the entrance to the temple, pausing to catch their breath before heading inside.

The first thing both Trey and Link noted when they entered the ornate temple was how much cooler it was inside than outside. This sudden rush of cool air was a relief, as the two adventurers relished in the comfort it brought them. Link exhaled almost breathlessly as he took a swig of water from his canteen. He poured some for Trey before adjusting his pack and heading up the grand flight of stairs before him. He turned and smiled to the keaton. "I'm going to go, Hazel. I'll see you soon." Trey nodded and watched as Link opened a massive gold door.

When he had left, Trey stood and wandered around the grand entrance way, marvelling at the detailed golden snake idols, or shimmering tiled floors. _The Gerudo must take this temple very seriously to have taken such good care of it._ Trey thought passively, studying the patterns in the tapestries on the wall with fascination. As he explored his surroundings however, he soon came across a great discovery: There was a finished tunnel-like path in the wall, opposite of the place where Link had entered. Feeling adventurous and not in the mood to sit around and wait fruitlessly, Trey scurried in the tunnel, grinning slightly at the prospect of his own mini-adventure.

It was dim inside the pathway at first. After travelling a little ways, however, a bright light could be seen up ahead. The keaton exited the tunnel-like path and came out into the brighter part of the temple. He arrived in a place similar to the entrance hall, except smaller and less extravagant. Various other pathways like the one he had just come from surrounded the area. It was silent; the only sounds audible were the clicking of Trey's claws against the floor tiles. He turned his head side-to-side, looking at the paths with an inquisitive smile.

He was about to choose a random path to follow when he heard a hasty, scuffling sound coming from his right. It sounded like fast paw-steps, and they grew louder and closer by the second. Unexpectedly, the scuffling stopped, and out of one of the tunnels, popped a curious creature. Trey turned to see what it was, and when he caught just the mere glance at this new being, he froze in his spot, jaw dropping.

In the threshold of the path, a huge, mangy brown wolfos stood, also looking quite astonished at the sight of Trey. His fur was matted and dirty, but for what he lacked in hygiene, he made up in sheer size; like Boar, he was an overly massive wolfos, with bulky muscles rippling under the muddy pelt. He had never met this particular wolfos before, but just by his appearance, he definitely looked like a force not to be reckoned with.

The awkward silence that passed between the two creatures was broken by a fierce snarl from the wolfos. He spat at the keaton before turning tail and running down the path he came from. His deep voice echoed through the grand temple as he hollered for all to hear, "Intruder! Intruder!"

Trey flushed anxiously as he broke out in a cold sweat. His hair on the back of his neck prickled, but no matter how much he knew of the amount of danger he was in, he found himself too afraid, or too shocked, to move from his spot. He shook himself out of his trance, and was about to turn back the way he came, when a terrifying growl from behind him stopped him right in his tracks.

"I wouldn't go _anywhere_ if I were _you_."

Trey turned slowly around, swallowing a large lump in his throat. Before him, a dozen hefty wolfos, like the one he had just seen, horseshoed him in this small room. The speaker, a wild and untamed grey wolfos stepped forward, his copper eyes gleaming angrily.

"Who are you, where did you come from, and what is your business here?" He snapped, glimmering teeth barred in a snarl.

Trey tried to remain calm and impervious in the face of this threat. He held his head square, looking coolly into the mad eyes of the feral wolfos. "I am Trey the Keaton, formerly of Blaze's forest wolfos pack." He paused for a moment, thinking of what to say about the quest Link was on. Finally, he continued, "I have been on a grand adventure all across Hyrule, and my travels have brought me to your home."

The pack of wolfos muttered to themselves, astonished at this statement. The brown wolfos that Trey had seen earlier scoffed and rolled his eyes as he piped up with a, "Please, do you honestly expect us to believe such a story? You, a keaton, in a wolfos pack? What sorts of idiots do you take us for?"

"Silence!" The leader roared at his lesser, growling deep in his throat.

Trey continued, "I know it sounds farfetched, but I do not lie, trust me."

The grey wolfos glared at Trey for a moment before responding, "I have heard stories of a keaton raised by wolfos. This does not necessarily mean you are who you say you are. However, this is beside the point. Tell me, Trey the Keaton, what has brought a forest dweller to walk the lengths you have travelled?"

The keaton's throat clenched for a moment, as he tried to think of something to say. "I-I have been on a quest. My pack was torn away from me in a horrible circumstance many years ago, and ever since then, I have been searching for them." He added on quickly, "If you know Boar the Wolfos, perhaps I could talk to him, or another Alpha. I heard that the West is home to Boar, and I came to see if he knew anything on the whereabouts of my pack."

At the mention of Boar, even the grey wolfos who had seemed impervious and terrifying let his guard for a moment in honest surprise. "You know of Boar? Then perhaps you are telling the truth…" He growled for a moment, his offensive nature returning. He seemed to be in thought for some time before he snapped to his team, "Take him to the main chamber! Do not let him out of your sights." The wolfos surrounding him shot back their affirmative to their captain before carrying out his orders.

The grey wolfos turned to enter a tunnel first. He called over his shoulder as he, Trey, and his entourage made their way through the pathway, "You will be seeing the Alphas. If you are who you say you are, they will know what to do."

Trying to still his beating heart, Trey focused on what was coming to him. He was going to have to explain his situation and try to convince these Alphas that he did not lie about his past life. If they did happen to help him, he could easily find his old pack.

No matter how much he had prepared himself during that seemingly endless passageway, nothing could have ever prepared him for what was to come. As he and the team of mangy wolfos entered the next room—"The main chamber"—he beheld the Alphas and their subordinates behind them. A she-wolfos stepped forth, her held high. The flames of torches upon the walls flickered and lit the room, showing the true features of the wolfos before him.

Trey's eyes went wide as he exclaimed for all to hear, "_Autumn?!_"

-oO **T.B.C **Oo-


	13. Truth Buried in the Sands, Part 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.  
Identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera are all figments of my imagination.

**Author's Notes: **Phew. This chapter, for some or other reason, was next to impossible to wrap my mind around. Excuse my absence (once again) et cetera, et cetera. In any case, here's chapter thirteen. Some good news is that I've already finished chapter fourteen, so the wait shouldn't be that immense for that. Afterwards, there'll only be one more full chapter and an epilogue. Holy oleo, Batman!

-oOoOo-

**Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing  
**-  
**Chapter Thirteen: Truth Buried in the Sands, Part 2**

-oOoOo-

Trey's knees felt positively weak. He stared, wide eyed, at the familiar she-wolfos across the room from him. This was the last thing he had expected from his escapade into the catacombs of this desert temple. Autumn still had the same striking auburn coat that Trey remembered so vividly from his childhood, but she had certainly grown and matured over the long years. Her body was muscular and sleek—undeniably a model specimen for any female-wolfos adult. If he had not known any better, she could have easily fooled the keaton into mistaking her for someone else. However, it was her overconfident demeanour and her father's fiery gaze that made her so recognizable. At once, a surge of muddled emotions, heavily influenced by events from the past, welled up inside of him, making it nearly impossible for Trey to clearly articulate his thoughts.

He stood fumbling for the appropriate words for what seemed like ages to him when Autumn scoffed, as she had always done so particularly in her youth: "Well, are you just going to stand there _babbling_ like an _incompetent_ _fool_, or are you going to actually say something?" she hissed with an annoyed flick of her bushy tail.

The matte grey wolfos that had escorted his troop and Trey into the Main Chamber stepped forward, dipping his head respectfully towards Autumn as he did so. "Alpha Autumn," his deep voice drummed off the rocky walls, "does this intruder…speak the _truth_? About being a part of your father's pack?"

Autumn snapped her head to the direction of the bulky wolfos, her expression calm yet authoritarian. "Yes, in fact, he does." She coolly replied, shifting her gaze between her follower and the keaton before her. "This…_keaton_…was once a part of my pack." She snarled visibly.

Finally, Trey spoke: "Autumn, I cannot believe it's really you!" His voice was strained with both shock and a bitter humour. "After all these years of being separated…To find the wolfos I grew up with in my pack…"

He was interrupted swiftly by Autumn's condescending, superior voice. "'_Your pack_'?" She narrowed her glittering amber eyes. "Oh no, no, I believe you are horribly mistaken, keaton. You were never part of _my father's_ pack, as much as you might think yourself to be. You were an outsider. A hindrance. An ugly blemish on an otherwise perfect society."

Unsurprisingly, these words failed to shock Trey. He had come to this conclusion some time ago, but never forced himself to fully admit it so blatantly. Autumn's words, while laced with disdain and hatred, made the past events come completely full circle.

A small group of wolfos, of all colours and sizes had begun to gather in the Main Chamber, dutifully sitting behind their leader, listening intently to the discussions that had stirred up so many hostile feelings. Autumn smoothly seated herself on the sandy floor, back straight and head perfectly parallel to the ground. She neatly wrapped her auburn tail around her paws, her stare never leaving Trey. "Tell me, keaton, what has happened that you managed to find me, especially in a far-off place such as this?"

Trey hesitated, but was cut short by the matte grey wolfos. "He tells us that he had been deliberately searching for the remains of your father's pack, but also for Boar."

At the mentioning of Boar, Autumn's attention was instantly seized. Her ears perked up and she turned her attention to her subordinate, but then back to Trey. "Is that so?" Her glittering, fiery eyes bore holes into Trey's skull, right through to his subconscious, it seemed. Was she trying to pry information out of him with her intimidating stare?

Trey gulped. He didn't like lying in the first place, and he wondered how far his lie would get him now, especially since his old pack was physically here. "Y-yes." He managed to remain calm, responding to her inquiry.

"Well, now that you have found us, what do you intend to do?"

Trey's mind raced for an answer. Hundreds of eyes turned to him, expectantly, and he could feel the weight of their stares as his mind calculated his options as fast as it could.

When he didn't answer as quickly as Autumn had wanted, which had not been a lot of time, she grinned maliciously. "I knew it. There _is_ no _real_ reason, is there? You have lied to me and my guards." At this, the grey wolfos' fur bristled in insult. "Of course, this was no accident, either. There is definitely something else going on, isn't there?"

The keaton paused, then, with a cool and reassuring tone, he said, "No, Autumn, there is not. I have merely wanted to see my foster parents, and my friends."

The corners of Autumn's mouth curled upwards into a sinisterly sarcastic smile. "You lie." She succinctly stated, "You only tell part of the truth. It is possible that when you did find us again, you would naturally want to see those who, surprisingly, were _fond_ of you. However, it was not your deliberate search for us that brought you to the West."

Trey registered this, but before he could open his mouth to speak, another brute of a wolfos came sprinting through a side-entrance. He was jet-black all over, save for two white front paws and white tipped tail—another member of Boar's old pack, Trey guessed, as he had never seen him before. He ran straight to his leader and immediately ducked his downwards in deep respect for her. "Alpha Autumn, excuse my rude intrusion," He began, "but I bring urgent news."

Autumn sprang to her feet and temporarily disregarded the keaton before her. "Well, what is it?" She demanded, anxiously flicking her tail side-to-side.

"Scouts spotted an intruder in the Northern Chambers…A _Hylian_." Instantly murmurs of disapproval broke out in the spectators at this news. They were hushed quickly by the assertive, strong voice of their Alpha.

"Are you positive? He was actually seen?" Autumn snapped, her brow furrowing in thought.

The black wolfos nodded. "Without a doubt. Even I saw him—it seems as though he was searching for something in the thick sands." He paused momentarily. "Uh, what are your orders, madam?"

Blaze's daughter snapped to attention, her eyes flashing dangerously as she began to bark out orders: "Send some of our most able-bodied wolfos out and stop him in his tracks—he cannot proceed any further than he already has! I don't care what it takes; he must be stopped from desecrating our home any more than he already has!"

Trey, who had been listening intently to the conversation since the black wolfos' interruption, sprang forward slightly at these ominous words. He caught himself in the nick of time, as he was about to add a hasty interjection in response to Autumn's call for action. Out of the corner of her eye, Autumn caught this movement and grinned slyly, piecing together two and two.

"Aha, so _that's _what it is," She said slowly, turning to face Trey once more, while the black wolfos hurried off in the background to find fighters. "You're protecting a Hylian."

Trey grimaced, furrowing his brow in annoyance—he shouldn't have been so impulsive with his actions. He knew that Autumn, or any wolfos for that matter, would not take his unconventional friendship with Link too well; he had seen this first-hand in his old home. Not knowing how to respond to Autumn's accurate statement, he stood stock still, growling softly under his breath at his carelessness and the bellicose nature of Autumn.

The auburn she-wolfos tossed her head back bombastically, looking down upon Trey with scornful eyes. "You haven't changed at all, keaton; you're still attached to those _useless_ Hylians. I'm not surprised at this, no…In fact, I should have known better than to doubt your traitorous past." She silently nodded towards the matte grey wolfos from earlier, and within the blink of an eye, Trey found himself horseshoed by three massive, unfamiliar male wolfos.

He turned his attention to the bulky wolfos next to him, before turning towards Autumn. "What's all this now?" He demanded, not liking where this brute force method was going.

She ignored him for a moment, keeping her attention fully fixated on the grey wolfos. "Escort him to one of the underground chambers. I don't want him out of your sights, understood?"

The captain nodded as he hurried over to join his troops around Trey. "Without a doubt, madam."

Autumn then addressed Trey, registering his question for the first time: "Your incorrigible and unusual habits are not going to be tolerated any more, keaton. Until I can sort out your little Hylian _pet_, I want you within my sights, lest you go off and rat us out." She sneered in disgust, flicking her tail angrily to dismiss her subordinates.

"Right. You heard your Alpha: Take this trespassing keaton to where he rightly belongs." The matte grey wolfos ordered, his deep growl enough to make any wolfos stop and pay attention. Almost instantly, the entourage began moving forward, completely boxing in Trey. As they went forward, Autumn concisely skipped into the background, eager to slow Link's further advancement in the temple. Trey ground his teeth together angrily, trying at the same time to figure out a way to escape this tight mess he was in. There was no possible way he could take on all four of these brutes at once, nor could he slip away from their grasp and make an escape. No, what he needed now was a miracle.

-oOoOo-

Without any sort of refinement or sensitivity, Trey had been roughly escorted down deep underground. A passageway, one that looked nearly identical to all the other routes, was the threshold to a cramped, dank chamber. It was dark and chilly—the only stream of light coming from the passage which he had been led down, and a small opening in the ceiling. Presently he lay on a small pile of sand in the corner, curled up and trying to find any physical comfort he could obtain. He had already been sitting in an uncomfortable anxiety, his mind racing ahead of itself in thoughts of what could possibly be going on in the world above his head.

Two of the thugs that had accompanied him to this dingy chamber were guarding the threshold to his confinement; their backs were turned, but they were alert, despite their statue-like behaviour. Growling softly under his breath in despair, Trey turned on his side, shifting his weight as he continued to try and devise some sort of plan of action. He was startled, however, by the noise of paw-steps. His black-tipped ears instantly perked and he raised his head up to see what was coming.

The guards were on their feet, and Trey saw the familiar face of Autumn coming down from the end of the passageway. On her right, she was complemented by the matte grey wolfos. The keaton grimaced slightly; she was the last creature he had wanted to see. As she passed through the opening to the chamber, the guards bowed silently to show their subservience to their Alpha.

Slowly, Trey also rose to his feet as Autumn entered his domain. She looked him in the eye as she began with, "Enjoying your home-away-from-home, keaton?"

Trey laughed sarcastically under his breath. "Oh, it's just _peachy_. You treat your guests as though they were royalty, really. I must remember to come back and vacation here sometime."

"I'm glad you think so," Autumn played along briefly before continuing, "Actually, I came to discuss a proposition for you."

The keaton raised an eyebrow in surprise. This was unexpected, but no doubt she had captured his attention. "I'm listening," He began slowly.

"I'm willing to mitigate your sentence, or to even let you go entirely, if you agree to my conditions." The she-wolfos watched with luminescent amber eyes as Trey noticeably changed his expression from somewhat tensed, to genuinely intrigued. He kept his guard on, though, as Autumn went on, "It seems as though your Hylian plaything is trickier to stop than we had anticipated. Normally, the Hylians fear our strength and size, but this one seems to be different, and just as powerful, if not more so; in fact, many of our warriors are either gone or severely wounded."

Trey grinned slightly at this, knowing that Link was certainly capable of this. It was Autumn's own fault that she underestimated Link.

"So, in an effort to stop his movements, my right-hand guard and I have developed a plan that will suit all our needs, it seems." She seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if the idea of helping Trey out displeased her in some way. "The Hylian favours you, and trusts you. If you can distract him, we can launch a full-scale offensive at him, and bring him to his demise."

Startled, Trey looked from Autumn to the grey wolfos beside her. He nodded in agreement to his Alpha's suggestion as he too talked, "Yes, this plan is most suitable for our needs, as well as yours. We would get rid of the threat of being discovered and destroyed by a strong adversary, and you get your freedom. Well, on the condition that you never return, naturally."

Trey's brilliant yellow fur bristled angrily, and he barred his teeth. "I…I cannot believe what you are suggesting!" He growled softly, "To go against someone, regardless of species, who has trusted me, all for my own sake?! That is—that is—"

Autumn was losing control of her temper. She had tried holding her disdain and hatred for Trey as long as she could, but her attempts were slowly crumbling at the keaton's decisions. "That is exactly what happened in my father's pack, you hopeless, brainless imbecile! Your unruly ways cost you your freedom, as you went against our rules and associated yourself with those vile Hylians! Today, I was giving you the opportunity to redeem yourself, to prove your loyalty to the wolfos who raised you, but it seems I have misjudged you once again." She spat on the ground before him, her haunches raised and her ears flat against her skull.

"Unlike the wolfos I grew up with," Trey impulsively retorted, "this Hylian has treated me with equality and dignity, instead of being perpetually looked down upon by those whom I was supposed to find as my _pack-members_."

The tension in the small chamber was steadily rising, as the guards lined up behind their Alpha dutifully, defending their ground and preparing themselves at the drop of a hat for an attack. Autumn eased off a little to snarl disgustingly at her former pack member. "The apple does not fall from the tree. You are just like your foster father: A wanna-be hero. Ideological. Impractical. You fight for your lost causes, and all it winds up doing is finishing you."

"'Finishing me'?" Trey repeated, turning the phrase over in his mind. "What did you do to my father?!" When Autumn answered only with one of her typical, twisted grins, the keaton lost his temper and roared a great and furious cry as he began to charge the entourage in front of him. He was too blinded by his rage to care about the impracticality of his emotional reaction.

The bulky guards at once leapt forward, bowling the keaton over on his back. He smacked against the wall of the cramped chamber, knocking the wind out of him for a split second. He could feel the pressure of the two wolfos upon his body, and their sharp claws beginning to pierce his skin, and winced in pain as he struggled to find his regular breathing patterns. He glared daggers at Autumn and the matte grey wolfos, furious beyond all reason.

Autumn shook her head sadly. "What a pity. I did give you a decent out, keaton. It's your own fault if you wish to continue living stubbornly like this. The only way to end your suffering is just to comply. I'll give you one last chance to save your skin. Will you help us?"

Breathing heavily, Trey growled deep in his throat. "I will never betray him!"

Autumn sighed. "Fine. Have it your way. Enjoy your stay—you'll be here for as long as it takes you to come around." And with that, Autumn turned on her heels, swiftly making her exit, the grey wolfos at her side.

When she had left, Trey relaxed a little and was relieved when his guards eased off his body. Aggressively, one of them swatted his massive paw at Trey's face, cutting him across the cheek. He reeled back, startled by this unpredictable movement. He was not ready to fight these humongous beasts, so he sucked up the burning pain and ignored the strong scent of hot, fresh blood. "That was a warning for your insubordination to our Alpha, you fiend." The attacker said slowly, with a deep, rumbling growl in his throat. "Next time, I'll do more than just nick you." Confidently, the guards resumed their positions at the threshold of the chamber, but this time, turned only sideways instead of exposing their backs to Trey.

Futilely, Trey tried to clean his wound on his face. He sat back down in the sands, resuming the task of devising an escape plan. However, everything seemed next to impossible.

-oOoOo-

Some time later, Trey found himself dozing off. He had wrapped his three gloriously warm tails around his body in an attempt to keep himself warm in the cool underground room. Time was irrelevant and elusive to him, as he did not know for how long he had been cooped up. His stomach rumbled noiselessly in a noticeable sign of hunger. Passively, the thought of food entered the keaton's mind, and he wondered if Autumn was going to allow him a simple bone to gnaw on. Rolling his eyes sarcastically, he concluded that this was highly unlikely.

As if on cue, a single set of paws could be heard carefully coming down the sandy pathway. Soporifically, Trey blinked his eyes, no longer caring who it was. He tucked his head in towards his body, still trying to keep warm and comfortable in the conditions he was bound to. He was about to go to sleep when a whiff of meat and a strangely recognizable voice caught him out of his drowsy state.

"Hello there, Claw. Hello, Boulder," It was a female voice by the pitch; sweet, yet confident. "I came with a small morsel of meat for the prisoner. Is that alright?"

There was a gruff voice in response—whether it was Claw or Boulder, Trey knew not. "Hmm, did Alpha Autumn send you? I'm not sure if we are allowed to _pamper_ this one."

"Yes, she said it was alright. Oh, and she also sent me to tell you that you are relieved of your guarding shift. You both are to report to the Western-most chambers."

The other guard's voice replied to this. "Finally! I am ready for a break."

"Wait there, Boulder," Came the other guard—presumably the one called Claw. "We shouldn't just leave this little lady alone with the keaton; he's a maniac, you know, and she might get hurt."

The female huffed, a little annoyed. "Really now, Claw! I can take care of a pipsqueak pup such as him! Do I need to remind you how many fights I've won in the past three months?"

A brief hesitation before, "No, I guess not. You _should_ be able to handle yourself if needed."

"That's right. Besides, a new team of guards is on the way. I was just coming to give you two a head start."

Boulder's voice came in again. "Well, thank you very much for that, miss. I can't tell you how dull it is to be here. I'm ready for a good chunk of meat myself." His racing paw-steps faded into the distance, as Claw spoke for the last time.

"Thank you too, I suppose. Just watch yourself with this wild one, here. There's no telling what he would do to a pretty thing like you, is there?"

A soft, playful growl came as a response. "Enough of the flattery, Claw. Enjoy your break." And with that, the second guard's steps also faded away.

Uncaringly, Trey kept his head tucked away. He attempted to ignore whatever strong she-wolfos this was—the one that had won all those fights. Whoever she was, she was probably one of those aggressive, power-hungry fighters that resided here in this new pack. Trey felt a cold, wet nose press into the top of his head, nudging him gently. "Trey, Trey," She whispered, continuing to nudge him. "Trey, get up, quick. They're gone now, it's safe." He stirred slightly, but refused to adhere to this random wolfos' desire. However, her voice seemed so uncannily familiar that Trey had to keep from second-guessing himself. "Trey, please, get up! This is very important! You cannot sit here, sleeping!"

Grudgingly, the keaton picked himself up from his cosy position in the sand, and faced the she-wolfos who was so persistent on rousing him. When he opened his hazel eyes, he gasped in shock and relief at what he saw before him. The first things he noticed were two striking clear blue eyes; they were soft and friendly, warm and motherly. He then noticed the sleek body of the she-wolfos in front of him: Gorgeous and feminine, instead of bulky and hefty like so many of the wolfos he had the displeasure of seeing. Her coat blended in perfectly with the surroundings, as it was a healthy, fluffy pale beige fur.

Trey gasped, speechless and excited beyond his wildest dreams. "Sandy!" He exclaimed joyously, bounding straight up from his corner, and running to meet his old pack-mate head on.

Sandy was taken aback a bit when Trey came close to her, rubbing against her neck very friendlily. She flushed a little in the pale lit chamber, but smiled and returned the action briefly before backing away to see Trey, all grown up. "You've changed," She said simply, smiling gently.

Trey nodded. "So have you. I knew it was you from your face, though." He grinned and looked at her more closely, but was taken over by surprise when he really studied her features. The right side of her face was marred by an ugly pink scar. It looked as though it had been there for quite some time, but Trey could only have imagined what sort of beast could have done such damage. "Wha-what happened to your—"

He was about to go on but was cut short by Sandy. "My face. I know." Embarrassed, she turned her gaze away from Trey briefly. "That is just one sign of the new hardships we face here, in the desert." She looked over her shoulder and picked up the hunk of meat she had brought for Trey. She tossed it at him and signalled quietly for him to eat before continuing her story. "Ever since our pack merged and joined forces with Boar's aggressive pack, we've had to change our lifestyle dramatically. Every day is like a battle; a never-ending power struggle to see who's tougher. That's why the massive wolfos—those from Boar's pack—pride themselves on brute strength rather than reflexes or cunning or anything remotely like that."

Sandy sighed softly, watching Trey hungrily tear away at the meat. "I have never liked to fight—you know that—but in order to survive in this new world, I had to change. I couldn't be the last link on the ladder, not with my best friend in power. Well, long story short, I obtained this scar from one of my past brawls."

Hastily Trey swallowed a bit of meat, licking his lips in satisfaction. "Excuse me, but…When exactly did you all move out here? I'm completely in the dark as to everything that's happened since my exile."

Sandy jumped a little, realizing she had forgotten all about the gap in Trey's knowledge. "Oh my, I'm sorry! Well, you see—" She was about to tell the tale when she paused abruptly at a small sound from afar. She turned to Trey, watching him gulp down the last bit of food. "Look, I'll tell you on the way, but we need to leave. Now." She emphasised clearly. "That little white lie I fed the guards back there will only buy us so much time. If you want to get out of here in one piece, I suggest you follow me. There are many secret shortcuts in this place, but without the right guide, you'll never figure the way out."

A little surprised at this new, confident Sandy, Trey nodded hurriedly. Sandy turned tail without another word, and Trey followed suit. She crept fast up the passageway, and turned her head around the corner, to make sure no one was coming. "The coast is clear," She whispered, running around the bend.

Everything was desolate and quiet above the underground chamber, and as they ran Sandy said to her old friend, "Most wolfos are in the main chamber or to the South for the time being," she explained, "It's time to eat, and we mostly do that together, in either of those two places. So for the most part, things should be okay for now."

"So then," Trey started, "what's happened since I left?"

Sandy laughed shortly, sarcastically, without taking her eyes off the route before her. "Lots." She continued to race on silent paws, Trey beside her. "Boar led our pack on a massive attack on the Deku Scrubs. All to no avail, however. The Scrubs took over and we were forced to leave the forest. With nowhere else to turn, we followed Boar back across Hyrule in a mass migration to this_ lousy_ place. Our packs merged together, but it took a long time before we were all used to each other and begun to assimilate within their culture."

The duo paused for a breath in a shadowed corner before racing off again, swiftly and silently, as though they were back in the forest, stalking an elusive piece of prey. "For awhile, things were okay. Then Boar had to leave out-of-the-blue to some 'urgent' business of his." She turned briefly to face Trey, her blue eyes filled with concern. "Nobody knows what, and nobody ever will. All that matters is that he left, and took Blaze and his Alpha Female—a light auburn wolfos with unusual gold bands around her forepaws—with him. That meant only one Alpha left: Blizzard. I must say, Boar's old pack was extremely loyal to him and their Alpha Female; to this day they still refuse to replace them."

Trey interjected here, "Then, did Blizzard appoint Autumn in her place?"

Sandy didn't say a word for a moment; holding in her breath as she strained her ears to hear if anyone was around. When she was satisfied with the lack of company, she let out her breath and nodded slowly, registering Trey's question. "Yes and no. Blizzard did rule as Alpha Female for awhile until she got so bothered and old, that she renounced her title and gave it to Autumn. She can do that, you know, because Autumn is the related by blood to Blaze. To this day, Autumn has reigned over the union of our packs single-handedly." Sandy looked over her shoulder. "Come, we still have a ways to go." Once more, the two wolfos were on the move.

"What of Twiggy and the others?" Trey asked cautiously, hoping the fates of his family and friends had been good.

Sandy smiled. "Twiggy is still the same eccentric character he is and always will be. He followed in Skunk's footsteps and now leads hunting expeditions. Often those are quite the laborious task, as there is hardly any prey in this place, and a team will have to make long journeys out into the nearby human settlements to steal food. Skunk is also still leading some hunting expeditions."

They rounded a couple more corners, and ducked behind walls in fear of being caught by a stray wolfos. Sandy was going to continue on, but was stopped by an outstretched paw from Trey. She turned to look at him, to see what he wanted. "Wait," He started, "Before we go on, tell me about…my parents."

Sandy lowered her eyes, worried that the conversation might turn to this. "Your mother is perfectly fine, just horribly grieved. Ever since you left she has been quieter than normal. It was obvious she was pained by your abrupt and unceremonious exodus. But…it was what happened shortly afterward that has made her unconnected to the events of the present." Sandy took a deep breath before continuing. "Your father…Your father always stood up for what he believed in, Trey. You should feel honoured that he was there to raise you, as if you were his biological son. Some of us quietly disagreed with what mad laws Boar imposed on us, but Shadow always was the outspoken one.

"Shortly after you were exiled, a big fight erupted between him and Boar in front of the entire community. He and Boar were so heatedly divided on the issues that they somehow got into an actual battle. Due to the overpowering size and strength Boar possessed, Shadow was physically overwhelmed and lost the fight. Boar…Boar killed him as a warning to anyone else that dared stand in his way." She looked back up at Trey, and felt her heart heavy with compassion for him. The keaton's face was long and sorrowful at this news, but in his heart of hearts he was somewhat proud that his father died for a noble cause. "I'm so sorry, Trey." Sandy whispered apologetically.

Trey merely nodded and looked up at his old friend, smiling weakly. "Thanks for telling me, though. I'd rather know than not know."

"I understand. Now, I hate to do this, but we _have_ to keep moving. We're almost out of this labyrinth, and you'll be reunited with your Hylian friend shortly." And with that, the duo continued on their trek.

After that, it was only a matter of minutes before Sandy and Trey reached their destination. Neither had said a word after the terrible news of Shadow's death. Trey was still turning the horrid words in his mind, wrapping his thoughts around it, and trying to only imagine what the circumstances were like. If only he had been there…

Sandy's sweet, good-natured voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Here we are, Trey." They looked over and out towards a great room, one with a massive Gerudo statue on the far wall. There were snakes twisting around the woman, and Trey could only wonder why on earth the Gerudo people had decided to build any altar like that. "This is where scouts last saw the Hylian. With any luck, you'll find him fast and get the blazes out of here."

Trey nodded and almost leapt forward thoughtlessly before he stopped himself and turned to Sandy. "How can I ever thank you for this, Sandy?" He asked genuinely, his hazel eyes soft and thankful. "If it wasn't for your courage, I would have been stuck back there."

Sandy smiled and shook her head humbly. "You're the one who has the courage, Trey. There's something different about you that is…right and good." She sighed and looked out towards the room before her vacantly. "I don't know what it is, but this world has changed, and not for the better. Ever since you left I could feel it. A dark presence swept over this earth and swallowed it up. And now, I feel that you somehow are entangled in the affairs of bringing it back to the way it's supposed to be. To the way things were when we were young. That Hylian…I never generally approved of Hylians, but I think he needs you. He's needed you for a long time."

There was a brief silence between the two. It was not an awkward pause, but rather, a pause filled with admiration and affection for the one and another.

"Why don't you come with me?" Trey asked finally, hope shining on his features. "There is no future here for you."

Sandy shook her head sadly. "There will be no future for anything if we are careless. No, I cannot leave. This is my pack, and I am bound to them. You have the opportunity to be free and to obey only your own desires; _that_ is the power of being outcast. But now, you really must leave."

"I understand. Thanks again, Sandy. I'll never forget this."

Sandy stepped towards Trey at this, and lovingly licked his face briefly. Trey, startled momentarily at this, flushed slightly before grinning broadly and bounding away. The beige she-wolfos sat silently on the ledge, her tail over her paws, watching her old friend bound away into the distance.

-oOoOo-

Trey had found Link later on. He had just come out from his last battle, and was tired and beaten. However, he pressed on, especially after seeing his travelling companion safe, save for the few scratches along his belly and face. As they left the temple, they were still met with three last wolfos whom Trey had recognized from his ordeal: Boulder, Claw, and the matte grey captain. They charged at Link, but he quickly beat them back enough to make an escape out of the temple for good, Trey right at his heels.

Presently the duo was entering the sacred Temple of Time. Sheik, the human from Kakariko Village was already there to greet the travellers. "Welcome, Link," He stated as Link and Trey entered the vicinity. He looked down at the keaton with hesitation. "and your companion, of course." Trey barked at this. "The time has come for me to reveal my identity to you at least, Link." A brilliant flash of white light emerged from Sheik, and when it faded, a glorious and beautiful woman stood before them. She smoothed out the nonexistent creases in her pink skirts before saying: "I have deceived you, Link. Yes, Sheik is actually me, Princess Zelda Harkinian of Hyrule."

At a loss for words, Link stood before her, dumbfounded. He knew not whether to drop to one knee or to ask a series of questions, but before he could do anything, an evil cackle was heard from above.

"Yes, at long last, the Princess Zelda! I have waited seven long years for you, your majesty!" Instantly, a blue crystal engulfed the princess and shot straight into the air. Trey barked ferociously, not knowing what else to do.

Zelda screamed. "Link! Help! It's Ganondorf! He's captured me!" With that, Zelda was out of sight.

Link tightened his grip on the Master Sword's hilt, barring his teeth angrily. "Hazel, this is it. Once we get Zelda back and defeat that mad sorcerer, our ordeal will be over.

-oO **T.B.C. **Oo-


	14. Clash!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or characters of these games including Link, the Kokiri, keatons, wolfos, Hyrule, Termina, et cetera. This story has been written for the fun of it, not for the sake of money.  
Identities and personas of the characters such as Trey, Shadow, White Foot, Twiggy, Blaze, et cetera are all figments of my imagination.

**Author's Notes: **I know I said at the beginning of this story that things would not be an "alternate universe". Well, there was a small aspect which I changed, and that is that Link does not get sent back in time immediately after fighting Ganondorf.  
Also, while this may seem like the last chapter, there will be one more regular chapter and a short epilogue to follow. I will remind you again at the end, but I just want it to be known that this isn't over. Isn't it hard to believe that it almost is, though?

-oOoOo-

**Wolfos in Sheep's Clothing  
**-  
**Chapter Fourteen: Clash!**

-oOoOo-

Trey's claws clicked along the marble hallways of the illustrious Ganondorf's citadel, the sound one of the only things heard in the still, demonic atmosphere. He had just bid a worried good-bye to Link, who had recently disappeared behind two ominous iron doors, ready to fight the Gerudo King. The keaton swallowed an uncomfortable bile in his throat, his stomach doing loop-de-loops in anxiety for his friend's safety. _Please,_ He whispered in silent prayer to the goddesses, _Keep Link safe. Make him win. Bring righteousness to Hyrule once more._ This prayer calmed his nerves down to a small degree, although he still fidgeted in indescribable apprehension.

He didn't stray far from those looming, dark double-doors that his Hylian friend passed through. He just kept roaming up and down the crimson-carpeted stairways, studying patterns in the rocks and nearby paintings of the Dark Lord with mild fascination. He wanted to get his mind off of Link, but at the same time, he wanted to think of him, and try not to forget what he was up to—saving the world. The keaton gulped again at the mere sound of those seemingly gloomy words.

Trey walked back up the stairs for the umpteenth time since he watched his blonde friend go away to the main battle. A tiny spider crawled across the floor in front of him, blatantly not caring whether or not the keaton was there. It scurried away in a crack in the wall, and Trey snapped his eyes away as it did so. He finally reached the top of the staircase where the double-doors loomed in their own dark shadows. The three-tailed creature sat in front of them, staring with sorrowful hazel eyes, his heart pounding rapidly at the amount of silence that emitted from the door. What was going on? Had the Dark One slain his friend already? Had the fight not yet begun? Was it just a trick door that led the seventeen-year-old into a quick and death-bringing trap? Trey sighed heavily at all these badgering thoughts as he bent his head forward, long ears drooping in more worry than ever before. "Farore…" He muttered under his breath sadly.

"So, I finally get to meet the second half of Hyrule's illustrious saviours, hmm?" A sickly sweet voice wavered out of seemingly nothing, startling the anxious keaton.

Trey spun around, tensing his muscles as he did, ready for any attack this mysterious stranger had in store for him. "Wh-who's there?" He demanded, trying not to make his voice quiver, although he was noticeably frightened. "Show yourself!"

A sarcastic, soft chuckling came in response to this initially before the speaker finally said, "As you wish, O hero," The keaton's breathing began to subside to a normal pace, and he watched with full intent in the direction from which the voice had come from.

Out of the deep shadows the iron doors made, a sleek figure materialized into the orange-light the torches on the walls produced. Trey's eyes widened a little at the speaker as they appeared: it was a she-wolfos. She had a gracious body, long and sleek, but had a right proportion of muscle with her. Her bones did not protrude though; it was clear that she was fed healthily. The gorgeous wolfos' light auburn fur was well maintained, brushed, silky, and shiny in the flickering embers of the torches, and it matched perfectly with the brilliantly sparkly copper eyes she possessed. Two gold bands were clasped around her two front legs, symbolizing that she indeed "belonged" to somebody and was not a wild wolfos. A sly smirk spread on her lips, one that made the adult keaton's insides bubble in muddled emotions.

She sat elegantly in front the impenetrable iron doors, the hues of the blacks and greys on its surface made the she-wolfos' fur stand out even more than it already did in the light. She wrapped her fluffy tail around her forepaws, never leaving her seductive gaze off of the tensed keaton. Suddenly, iron bars on the door whipped downwards sharply, cutting the air with a hissing slice. Trey leapt back at the surprising movement in the tensed atmosphere, unlike the she-wolfos, who kept her calm demeanour and perfect posture with her at all times, as if the iron bars were nothing special.

An ear-splitting cry rang forth from the depths of the room behind the barred door, and Trey sprung into action, immediately leaping to the door in frantic. "Link!" He barked instinctively, batting his paws through the bars on the double-doors.

The she-wolfos chuckled sarcastically under her breath again. "It seems as if the precious Hero of Time has begun to fight my Master." She cooed, her voice nectar-like and almost soothing, in a way, like the gentle fall of spring rain.

"What? Ganondorf? He's fighting Ganondorf _now_?" Trey hissed, jumping around to face the she-wolfos.

Said wolfos inclined her head to the side slightly, her mysterious smile still plastered on her beautiful features. "Yes, that would be correct." She nodded her head, her tone remaining calm and impish. "Why, what's the matter young one? Fear that your pet is dead, hmm?"

"Don't speak like that!" Trey growled softly, his eyes narrowing in suspicion of this mystifying wolfos. "He'll come through; Link's been through a lot, this is no different. He'll defeat the King of Darkness and bring light back into Hyrule."

The she-wolfos clicked her tongue as she shook her head slowly. "Silly, silly keaton. Do you honestly believe such nonsense? Did your pet tell you that, perhaps?" A "heh" escaped from her throat as she turned back to the wary keaton. "How naïve. Master has massacred countless souls, slain numbers of armies, and tortured thousands. Your pet is no different. He shall soon join the deceased, and Master will have his prize."

She rose to her paws and stood in front of the still-tensed keaton, her copper eyes shinning like two gems in the orange-red flames of the torches. "Who are you?" Trey finally asked, trying to ignore the dull sounds of clashing swords from behind the doors.

"Me?" She looked slightly surprised at such a question, but dismissed it passively. "…They call me Neci. At least, that's what Master calls me. I'm his guard wolfos, you see, and it is a very important position to be sure." She began to circle Trey captivatingly, her eyes lingering over the keaton. "I have to make sure no one harms Master from a surprise attack, be wary of any prisoners trying to escape their torture sessions, and most importantly," She stopped again in front of Trey's nose. "Chase the _rats_ away." She chuckled that soft, mocking laugh again.

Trey opened his mouth to speak, but Neci beat him to it. "Don't bother, young one. I already know who _you_ are."

The keaton was taken aback by this, and took a small step backwards, ever-wary of any movement the she-wolfos made. "How so? I never told you my name."

"Oh please," She sighed, that serpent grin still present on her lips. She turned tail and strutted away, her tail sweeping back and forth slowly. Trey silently wondered if she knew if it was a bad idea to turn your back to an enemy, but she seemed to care not for such rules. Neci situated herself down on the floor some short distance away from Trey, casually lying down on the marble floorings as if she were an Egyptian cat-goddess. "You are Trey, fabled keaton hero of Hyrule. Heh, well, _they_ didn't exactly say _that_, but the title seems to work perfectly, no?"

The words Trey wanted to utter to this somewhat lustful wolfos were caught in his throat, so he only kept his watch on her, wondering what she was going to say next.

"Gallivanting about Hyrule like a loyal pet to the Hero of Time, freeing Sages, defeating monsters, fighting for justice in the name of the goddesses…All these tales have been passed through word of mouth from creature to creature. My friends at the Spirit Temple eventually told me the news just recently. I had no idea you were so…devoted to this Hylian. Truly you surprise me, Trey, truly. I know of no other creature that would perform such a task."

"'Friends at the Spirit Temple'?" Trey repeated, the horrid memories of the capture lingering in his mind "Are you speaking of Blaze's pack?"

Neci nodded her head, excited that the keaton had guessed correctly. "Why, yes! They spoke of a traitorous keaton who defied their laws and eventually had to be exiled. Such a pity, no?" A soft growl escaped Trey's throat almost unconsciously as Neci uttered these words, but still she continued. "They never thought they would see you again until that one faithful day in the Spirit Temple when you decided to show up, out of the blue, with that Hylian that got you in trouble in the first place. How interesting. You escaped their clutches, and afterwards, Blaze ordered me to slaughter you when we finally meet. He's heard the news too, you know."

"Did he? Heh, typical Blaze." The keaton scoffed lightly, returning the sly grin with one of his own. News travelled fast, it seemed.

"Pity I have to though," Neci continued, drawing out her words with hints of seductiveness. "I'd hate to see someone like you die, by my paws especially. You are one of my fewer adversaries who's quite…attractive…For a keaton, at least." She laughed under her breath once more, watching with luminescent copper eyes as Trey's face flushed steadily in the dim, crackling light. He took a short step back, preparing himself even more for the high risk of a fight. Neci shrugged passively, closing her eyes for a moment, relishing in the refreshing darkness it brought her. "Ah, but promises are promises, and I can't let my old friend down, now can I?" She rose slowly to her paws and waltzed leisurely in front of the keaton, sparkles shining off of her gold-bands as she walked.

The two enemies stood nose-to-nose with each other, locking eyes in a prolonged stare-down before the real fight. Neci's smirk grew. "Are you ready, keaton? My skills in combat are no match for the skills you have learned in the wild. I use more refined, elegant moves, instead of the rough and spontaneous movements that were taught in the forest. Are you sure you want to continue? I could just merely dispose of you quick and painlessly outside in the lava."

Trey hunched his muscles in a ready position, as did Neci. He narrowed his eyes with a baffling smirk much like hers. "All talk no fight. I'm not a coward, and I will stand up against my enemies, instead of dying the gutless, dishonourable way."

"Hmm, you truly are an interesting being. I rarely make exceptions for my foes; you should feel honoured."

"I will feel more honoured once I see you running away with your tail between your legs, Neci."

"Likewise, Trey. Shall we begin?"

"I'm not holding you back." Neci smiled wider at this, her eyes flashing for a moment in the prospect of a hopefully gory battle.

The two stood still and silent for a moment before Trey made the first move. He leapt forwards at the she-wolfos, claws outstretched and ready for slicing. However, Neci jumped nimbly to the side, laughing with amusement as she watched the impetuous keaton flop over his own paws, dumbly. Trey growled, picking himself up from the floor. "Is _that_ your first move?" Neci continued laughing at the keaton's ignorance. "Charging full-out on me? How pitiful. Surely I expected a clever first move, but what more could I expect from a keaton raised by wild wolfos?"

Trey growled, itching to get his paws on Neci after all these cocky statements she had continuously made. The two of them faced each other and stepped in a circular pattern, each one of their gazes never leaving the other one. They droned out all sounds and side distractions from their view, determination glowing in each pupil of the fighters. Finally, Trey leapt over Neci and attempted to spring upon her backside, but to no avail. She rolled away with Trey landing on his paws, just where his foe had been.

Wasting no time, the sleek she-wolfos charged at Trey when he was still turning around, and with one swift slash, she cut his face with her claws. Pain zapped through the keaton's body as he reeled back from the blow, ignoring the scent of blood that drifted into his nostrils. He was bleeding, that he knew, although he cared not. A deep, warning growl emitted from his throat as he charged towards the offender, who still had that fox-like smile on her face. It was beginning to haunt the adult keaton, driving him to insanity at how the she-wolfos could remain so poised and collected, even in the midst of battle.

She sidestepped hastily, jolting away from her rival in mere seconds. She again gracefully landed in front of the keaton, and before Trey could think twice, she had landed two more hits: One on his nose and one under his right eye. Trey yowled in agony as he shook his head to clear his view. Neci was about to take another swing with her claws, but Trey saw it coming just in the nick of time and ducked out of her reach. Fumbling for a moment, the she-wolfos tried to regain composure as quickly as she could, but as she was doing this, the keaton skilfully bowled her over with all his might, his head ramming into her chest.

She tumbled on the floor; the keaton rushed over to her body, digging his nails into her flesh. She ground her teeth together, determined not to show her foe any signs of hurt or weakness. She tried kicking her legs wildly under the keaton's grip, and sure enough, one of her back claws came in contact with Trey's back leg. He let his grip go looser on the she-wolfos, just enough to let Neci regain control again. She ignored the steady, tiny trickle of blood caressing down her side, instead, she leapt on Trey, bashing him back-first onto the marble, the wind knocked out of his lungs.

She sunk her teeth into one of his ears with such a force that Trey had no use but to utter another small cry of anguish. Trying his hardest to ignore the bulleting pain jolting through his veins, he scratched the underside of the light auburn wolfos briefly, just before using his strength to kick her off of him. She tumbled backwards off of him, rolling into a stone wall. She could see stars in her eyes from the dizzying shock, and before she knew it, Trey was in front of her again.

She looked up at his fiery eyes, a look she had not seen since the fight had begun. She grinned deviously with delight, chuckling and spitting out a small dab of blood on the floor. "Go ahead, deliver the blow." She sniggered lightly, the blood still slowly seeping from her wounds. "Prove to me that you are the mightier of the two of us. I admit, my skills are becoming old, but that is what happens when time goes on, I suppose. I had once the power to break every bone in a keaton's body with the simple flick of my claws, but I have been proven that I have grown weary."

Trey remained silent, the blazes of passionate determination sparking in his features.

"Why do you hesitate? Can you not see that I am giving up? You have surpassed me, so finish me off. I will wait to die."

"…Get up." The keaton finally commanded, his deep voice in a growl. Neci blinked twice at him, astonished at what she had heard. "You are not finished yet, you still have energy to fight. Let us decide the true winner of this fight honestly, not by simple means of forfeit."

Neci closed her copper eyes and laughed lightly. "Always playing the honourable one, aren't we? So be it, we shall fight fairly until one of use becomes victor." Trey stepped back a pace, watching as the sleek wolfos rose steadily onto her paws, shaking her fur out a little to relieve herself of the uncomfortable sensation of hot blood down through her fur. She locked copper eyes onto Trey's hazel, and before the keaton knew it, she was at it again, charging with unknown ferocity at his injured body.

The two creatures rolled on the stone, growling, biting, tugging, and clawing at one another in a mad frenzy for the title of champion. The keaton's teeth sank into the she-wolfos' leg, and her claws pierced through Trey's flesh, both with equivalent strength and undying passion for the win. The fight lasted for minutes after minutes, each one of the combatants determined not to give up, even if they were growing weary.

In the midst of their battle, the bars on the iron doors zipped upwards, silencing the brawl between wolfos and keaton. A pregnant pause of uncertain silence hung in the air before the doors crumbled down into the ground, as if they were nothing but soft biscuits in a steaming cup of tea. Neci and Trey parted, their fight completely forgotten as they both listened around them with acute hearing. The ground began to rumble uncontrollably, and at that moment, Ganondorf's guard wolfos realized with a terrified gasp what was going on.

She shot her eyes over to the still bewildered Trey, hissing at him sharply to get his attention. "I can't believe it!" She growled, incredulous, "Your precious Hero of Time has actually defeated the Great Master!"

Trey's face brightened for a moment, the idea of Link bringing death to the King of Evil lingering in his mind with a happy note.

"Hurry, you must run through these doors and up the next flight of stairs if you want to live!" Neci growled wisely, her serious gaze never leaving the keaton.

Trey blinked twice, unsure of whether to believe this generosity his foe was offering. Still, he listened.

"Find your friend as quickly as possible, and follow him down outside of the castle. You must both make haste, quickly, quickly! The spell on Master's Tower has been broken, and the entire castle will deteriorate in a matter of minutes!"

Trey nodded slowly, the statement at once registering in his mind, and before running off, following the she-wolfos' directions, said hastily, "What about you? Will you be alright?"

Neci smiled fondly for the first time, her copper eyes soft and sympathetic. "I should be. I know many secret paths in the tower, ones that should lead me outside fast. If I don't, well, I don't regret anything, and I will have realized my purpose on this earth is done. Now, hurry before it is too late, Trey."

Trey nodded again, smiled, and wasted no time whatsoever after hearing Neci's surprisingly helpful advice. Even though she had been brought up by the Dark Lord Ganondorf, she still carried a distinct trait of morality with her that shown through at some of the most convenient times. The keaton silently thanked the goddesses for her help as he bounded up the quaking staircases, his eyes fixed straight ahead of him.

He dashed through richly adorned rooms, much like the hallway outside, but paid no attention to the decorations as he sped through room after room, the ground quaking underneath his paws. A vast room came to his attention next, and his heart almost stopped when he set paw into it: blood was splattered across the floor, and in heart-quenching fear, the keaton thought Link had been vanquished in his battle.

He rushed forward, trying his best to ignore the intense rumblings of the tower. He issued a deep, relieved sigh when he spotted Link, scarred, bruised and breathing heavily, but still standing in the midst of a giant disoriented landscape, the flaming red sky blazing in the background. That woman that he and Link had met in the Temple of Time, Zelda, was standing with him, fidgeting with her hands nervously. Trey maintained his quick pace as he leapt forward to the pair of Hylians, listening as Zelda finished her speech to the Hero of Time:

"…Please, follow me Link! Quickly!"

Link looked hesitant as he turned around, as if searching for something. When he saw his devoted keaton friend bounding towards him with an incomparable speed and agility, his face brightened to the fact that his childhood companion was alive and well, save for the numerous scratches and scars along his body. The princess of Hyrule was waiting impatiently for the Hero of Time to follow her through the twisting mazes of Ganondorf's citadel. Link and now Trey hurriedly sped at her heels, careful to avoid falling debris and flaming rocks that came from above.

They came to the first hindrance, a barred archway that loomed upwards, high into the sky. Zelda closed her eyes, drowning out all sounds and distractions from around her. Her hands started to glow a faint carnation pink as she lifted them up in the air, muttering some ancient spell under her breath, barely audible. The bars whizzed upwards, the same, opaque, carnation pink glow surrounding the bars. Trey caught his breath, just in time to follow the Princess of Destiny and his childhood friend through the archway.

Spiralling down the perplexing maze of Ganondorf's ominous fortress, the trio ran with all their energy, determined to escape the falling citadel and avoid flying flaming debris at the same time. Princess Zelda proved to be a great deal of help to Link and Trey, as the bars blocking the many archways of the castle were only able to open if a certain magical spell was performed on them. As Zelda was rushing towards another set of bars however, a ring of fire appeared from the floor, enclosing the surprised Princess. Stalfos popped out from the rugs of the room, and Link and Trey wasted no time whatsoever, killing them hastily and releasing the princess from her trap.

They continued down the spiral stairs from that point on, Link and Trey giving hasty backwards glances every no and then, to make sure they were not being pursued by an enemy out to get them. Finally, when they made it over the last pathway to the outside—a stone bridge guarded by a sole redead that was barely avoided—the citadel that was once the symbol of all malice and atrocity of a single man, collapsed to the earth, the rocky remains flying in all directions.

There was a pregnant pause, in which was only filled with the heavy breathing from Zelda, Link, and even Trey, who were all catching their breath after their long, quick dash. Holding a hand to her heart to feel the rapid beats, Zelda turned to Link, who was still injured from his fight with Ganondorf. "Link…we did it." She sighed breathlessly, though smiled in relief. Link smiled too, hope shining on his features for the first time in a long while. It seemed as if an incomparable weight had been lifted; as though the death of the King of Evil had lightened the weight of worry. When their breath was back after a few moments of silent rest on the outskirts of the crumbled citadel, Zelda said, as a last reflection of the King of the Gerudos, "Ganondorf…What a pitiful man. Without a righteous heart he could not control the power granted to him from the goddesses…"

She was going to continue when the earth began to rumble once more. Immediately the trio snapped to attention, preparing themselves for something, anything. Link gripped the hilt of his sword dangerously with the golden gauntlets, Trey hunched his muscles tautly, and Zelda merely stood on the spot, keeping her senses alert and sharp. "I-impossible!" She exclaimed, a foreboding feeling washing over her. She had an idea of what was to come, although she almost couldn't bring herself to say it. "Link, Ganondorf is…!"

Before she could finish her sentence, rocks from the debris flew through the air, scattering in different directions. Out of the rubble a massive, green hand emerged, gripping at the surrounding rocks with its long, black claws. The remains of the citadel were pushed out of the way with apparent ease to the creature, and when the figure was visible, the Hero of Time gasped, backing a step as he gripped the hilt of the Master Sword tighter.

The looming, dark figure, silhouetted against the blood red sky, grinned maliciously through its yellowed teeth. It squinted its beady eyes at Link and cackled; the deep barrels of sound rolling off the rocky terrain that once was the glorious Hyrule Castle.

"Foolish hero," It growled as it slowly curled and uncurled its ebony claws. "Did you really think you could kill me that easily? You will suffer much under my wrath! Come, your time to _die_ has arrived!"

Gritting his teeth and bracing himself for the fight, Link rushed forward, ready to hack the terrifying boar-like beast at a moments' notice. Trey leapt out from behind Zelda's quivering figure, hastily following his friend's steps. However, before he could catch up to the Hylian, a wall of fire leapt from the earth, blocking any passageway to the fight. Yelping in shock, Trey skidded to a halt and flopped lamely over his limbs.

Hastily Trey picked himself up from the ground, his fresh scars from the fight with Neci coated in a thin layer of grime. He shook himself and barked into the fire, wanting nothing more than to stand by his friend's side, protecting the last shards of hope for the world, when danger and disaster were imminent. His attempts were futile, as the roar of the flames drowned out his barks; the sound was greatly lessened in comparison to anything else.

The ferocious grunts and clang of swords, however, seemed to pierce through the fire's roar. Slumping in failure, Trey dejectedly ceased his barks, trying to calm himself down, telling himself that Link was capable of achieving any task, no matter how enormous. It was impossible to focus when the sounds of the raging battle between good and evil were so pressing and unavoidable.

Sweating and bruised, Trey relaxed his aching muscles, gazing through the raging inferno before him blankly. His sides heaved, and as he drifted into a state of tense anxiety, he felt a gentle hand gingerly placed on the top of his head. Slightly startled, he swung his head to the side, noting that the female Hylian, Zelda, had approached him. She seemed nervous around him still, but tried still to establish some sort of connection, almost reassurance; whether it was for her or Trey, the keaton did not know.

Saying nothing, Zelda turned her face towards the deciding battle before her. Her brow was gently creased, an obvious sign that she too was worried for the safety of Link and the fate of Hyrule. Time seemed irrelevant now, and neither Zelda nor Trey kept track of how long the battle lasted for. They only noted that it seemed like a horrendous, anxious period of waiting, watching helplessly as their hero struggled to stay alive.

When Trey was about to take some sort of initiative, bitter that he could do nothing to help, Link mistakably lost his footing for a minute, just enough time for the demonic beast that was Ganon to swipe his massive hand at the Hero of Time. Instantly the blow knocked the wind out of Link, and he flew across the arena, skidding through the rocky terrain painfully. Zelda screamed, clasping her hands to her mouth while Trey stood frozen on the spot, too engrossed in the battle to move.

Link gritted his teeth in a futile attempt to mitigate the burning pain. It seemed as if every one of his pores screamed, bloody and infected with the arena's grimy dirt. The Hylian's hand was still gripped onto the Master Sword, his grasp vice-like, knowing that losing his weapon would mean guaranteed death. He lay in a small puddle of a mixture of his own blood and the dirt underneath him, breathing heavily as he watched through fading vision as Ganon stomped towards him, roaring with the most sadistic, cruel grin Link ever had the displeasure of seeing. Drool dripped down through the corners of his black lips, hungrily eyeing the broken hero before him.

Tantalized with fear, the spectators stood grounded, watching, horrified, as Ganon made a leap towards Link, claws outstretched and back arched, like a cat upon a feeble mouse. Zelda, thinking that this was the end, instinctively screamed aloud while the massive demonic boar-figure descended onto the bloody form of Link. While she and her keaton companion waited for Link's demise, a heroic cry, like the crack of thunder amidst a stormy evening, from their hero shattered their fear. They turned their eyes to the horrible scene before him, wondering why Link had shouted the way he did.

The glittering silver blade of the Master Sword gleamed in the light of the fire as it swung towards the skull of the monstrous beast. A sickly _squishing_ sound erupted as the sword pried through dark, leathery flesh and tough bone, finally finding its mark through the brain of Ganon. Instantly, deep violet blood spurted through the gash, pooling on the dirt before Link's feet and oozing down Ganon's boar-like face.

With a mighty cry, Link shouted: "Now Zelda! Call the Sages!"

Zelda and Trey were snapped out of their astonishment at this. The ring of fire had disappeared instantly, and Trey rushed forward without any second thought while Zelda stood where she was, chanting low under her breath. Link was using all of his strength left to hold the Master Sword firmly in its place, ignoring the hot blood of his enemy splattered on his face and spiralling down his arm, staining his already grimy clothing.

Trey wagged his tails as he bounded towards his fallen friend, wanting to offer his help now that he was able to. Licking the gashes that were visible all along the Hylian's free arm, Trey cared not about the bitter, metallic taste of blood his mouth. He hurried to clean wounds, while his tired and weak friend forced a small smile at these actions.

While the keaton hurried about his work, an ethereal white light burst out of Zelda's hands. Too bright to look at, Link and Trey hastily turned their attention away while the impressive magic spell came directly at Ganon. His massive form was surrounded by the holy light—the spirits of Hyrule's Sages combined. "Sages! Heed my words!" Zelda shouted over the intensity of the light, "We must lock this evil man away for eternity! He must be sent to the Sacred Realm! It is the only way to restore Hyrule to its former glory!"

The light intensified, so much that Link and Trey could no longer avert their gaze and had to squeeze their eyes shut tight. Pure white surrounded all of them, even though their eyes were closed, and seemed to wash away all pain and suffering, until it seemed as though they were both in a very deep and comfortable sleep.

-oOoOo-

It seemed like days until Trey had the strength to open his eyes. When he did, he scampered upright in fright; his surroundings were not the broken landscapes of Hyrule, but a serene, cool place in the clouds. He shook his fur, marvelling at how he was in the skies, standing upon a cottony soft cloud. It hit him that instant as he was gazing incredulously at his settings: Link! What had happened to him and the Great Evil?

Panicking, Trey scouted the area for his childhood friend. When he found the green-clothed Hylian sleeping soundly next to him, relief washed over him as he settled down next to his warm body. Link stirred, feeling Trey next to him, and slowly woke up.

"Hmmm?" He mumbled, sitting upright and scratching his head. When he too saw the change in scenery, he jumped in fright, frantically looking around him. "What the—? Where am I?" He sputtered in disbelief. Trey barked, alerting Link's attention. He looked down and smiled, remembering his loyal friend.

"Hazel, you're alright!" Link bent down and scratched the top of his head, making all three of Trey's tails swish to and fro enthusiastically. The Hylian looked down at himself at his own comment, recalling the gruelling battle. "How come I am unscathed? I feel fine; not a single ounce of pain…" His eyes shot open. "Hazel, are we _dead_?!"

Before Trey had the chance to think of the accuracy of Link's theory, a honey-sweet voice filled the air with a gentle laugh, "No, O Hero, you are not dead." The duo instantly turned their attention to a shadowed female figure making her way towards them. Through the cloudy atmosphere, the Princess Zelda appeared, looking radiant and almost immortal.

Link instantly dropped to one knee, but was coaxed to stand Zelda's gentle gloved fingers. "Link, Hero of Time, there is no need to bow before me, not after what you have done for me and my kingdom."

"Then that means…Ganondorf's dead?" The blonde smiled, hoping his efforts were not in vain.

Zelda shook her head sadly. "Ganondorf cannot be killed as easily as a mortal, not while he still possesses Din's Power. We can only seal him away in the Sacred Realm under the protection of the Sage's Magic." The princess softly smiled. "Thanks to you, the Sages and I were able to apprehend him." She turned her gaze to Trey, who sat obediently next to Link, then back to the Hero of Time. "As far as your companion goes…When I had first met him, I was wary of his intentions. Throughout the seven years in which you slept, Ganondorf was able to manipulate many of Hyrule's creatures: snakes, birds, wolfos, keatons... I know now that I misjudged this creature. He has proved a loyal companion to you, and for that, I should apologize."

Humbled by this, Trey dipped his head before the princess, and issued a short bark to signal everything was alright. Zelda grinned the reaction, but continued on with her speech: "Of course Link, there is one more task at hand. In order to truly seal Ganondorf away indefinitely, I must take the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword back. That is the key which locks the gates of the Sacred Realm."

Link, surprised, unsheathed the Master Sword from behind him, nearly forgetting all about it entirely. He took a long look at it, marvelling at the craftsmanship and how the blade shone clean and bright, although it had been used in a gruesome, violent battle only just recently. Dutifully, Link handed the blade to Princess Zelda, who gingerly took it from him, as though it were made of a delicate crystal.

Sadly, Zelda looked at her reflection in the metal before speaking once more. "Of course, there is something you must know. Once the seal as been put on the Master Sword, everything will revert to its correct time: Seven years ago."

This instantly caught the attention of Link. "Seven years ago? So it will be as if none of this had ever happened?"

Zelda nodded. "Correct. You and I," She looked briefly at Trey, "and this keaton, will all retain our memories. Everyone else though…They will lose any memory of Ganondorf's reign. Is that understood?"

Nodding slowly, Link glanced between the Princess Zelda and Trey, who looked as though he was in deep thought over this. "I understand. I know that this must be done to preserve peace in Hyrule."

"Thank you Link, and thank you keaton." Zelda nodded curtly at the both of them. "Now, you will be sent back to Hyrule. There will be a period of a few days before the magic goes into effect." Her eyes were soft as she stared at the duo before her. They seemed to slip away, fading back into the real world below them. As a last homage and thanks to the heroes, Zelda whispered: "Goodbye Link, and thank you again." She sighed softly before they were gone completely, still grasping the holy sword.

-oO **T.B.C. **Oo-  
**(Yes, there is one more chapter plus a short epilogue due, so don't leave just yet!)**


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